Poodles cop a spray from the angry man

I agree that it’s reasonable to charge for FOI requests – even lots of little requests can have a big impact on a Dept’s productivity.

I’m requesting some info for personal interest under FOI from a Vic organisation, and they charge 20c per page photocopied. I’d say having the first 200 pages free makes the ACT Gvt look quite reasonable.

I’ve had to respond to FOI requests and I can tell you they cost a bloody fortune for the Govt (even after cost recovery). I’d say the minimum for one decent request (the sort that come from the news) would take a couple of weeks of searching through paper files etc plus a few hours of a senior persons time. It gets worse when you need to involve laywers to give FOI advice (because a lot of that can’t be cost recovered).

So there needs to be some sort of cost otherwise the public service would fall in a crap heap as they spend more time on FOI instead of progressing public policy.

Could you imagine in FOI’s were free? The news papers would be sending in requests left right and centre and the govt would need to raise taxes to bring on more staff. So the cost of FOI would then end up being born by everyone in the community rather than the people who will make a commercial benefit from obtaining that info. (this argument wouldnt hold for people wanting to get a hold of their personal files of course)

Well, I seem to remember a ‘Yes Minister’ episode on FOI when somebody receives a requested Departmental brief with everything but the first and last lines blacked out. I know Gallery hacks and hackettes who regularly put in FOI requests, and seem to get what they’re after. The amount of info contained in the document sought appears to correspond to the urgency/necessity to get the information out to the media, that is, some FOI requests can get lost in someone’s in-tray for months…years…until a change of Government even!

as i said – a poodle like media.

penelope layland the hack who issued the release is a former ct journo.

And your thoughts on FOI are? 😛

No, I haven’t got the hang of starting a new post either, or I would have, drawing attention to yesterday’s CT story on “Canberra’s Imelda” Marike Harvey, who is being given her own (gasp) shoe exhibition at CMAG (Canberra Museum and Gallery) to exhibit her collection of 175 pairs of shoes. But wait – wasn’t Ms Harvey one of the Government PR ladies who conveniently succumbed to ammnesia regarding the 2003 bushfire warnings ? Yes – it was – I distinctly remember the red hair and the cute little butterfly hair slide. So THAT’S how loyal troopers are rewarded now. So when will Aidan get his exhibtion at CMAG, and what will it be ? Aidan’s collection of 175 best graffiti artworks ?
And – just wondering – what shoe was Ms Harvey wearing on that memorable/tragic day ? The “outrageous, the simply exquisite or the red glitter or the Italian ‘pop wheels ? “?

Anyway, FOI.

If there is a waiver for ‘public interest’ like there is for requests to the Commonwealth then I don’t think it’s unfair. If you’re accessing a service for personal interest or personal profit then I sure as hell don’t want to pay for it.

Otherwise, I’d say he is being hypocritical. That couldn’t be possible, could it? 😉

Disclaimer: That article is missing a lot of details though. Could someone with a clue please weigh in?

As long as you enter a title and body, just hit save. The rest is set by default and you shouldn’t need to fiddle with it too much.

Join the club Bonfire!

i still cant figure out how to make new posts.

im just winging it.