When Scott Morrison was given the red carpet treatment during his visit to an RAAF air base last year, it was met with disbelief — including from former Defence staff and prime ministers who said they had never been given the same treatment.
Now emails between Defence Department staff reveal that a freedom of information request seeking more information about the visit was considered so sensitive that staff at Defence chose to consult the prime minister’s office even though it wasn’t required.
This correspondence reveals that a staff member from the PMO attempted to block the release of all but one document prepared for release by claiming they were “out of scope”, a classification rejected by Defence.
Further Defence emails obtained through an FOI request into the handling of previous FOI requests shows how staff took unusual steps when dealing with the request.
FOI requests about Morrison’s visit were deemed “Media/Sensitive”, a classification that differs from normal requests. According to an internal Defence document, staff must alert ministers and senior staff as well as prepare talking points when dealing with Media/Sensitive requests.
The request was considered so sensitive that “DCAF [Deputy Chief of Air Force Stephen Meredith] wants to sign off” on a FOI request sent by a staff member of Labor’s defence spokesman Brendan O’Connor, according to internal chat messages between two staff.
There was also unease about how the requests were handled. Despite six documents being initially internally marked as relevant, an email was sent to one FOI applicant on July 2 saying public comments made by RAAF chief Mel Hupfeld during an estimates hearing about the air base were considered to have answered the request.
“As such, Defence now consider this request complete,” Defence’s assistant director freedom of information media and sensitive Jo Groves said.
Three days later, staff discussed how this decision was poorly received.
“They aren’t happy,” one staff member said over an internal chat service. Another replied: “Nor as we[,] literally had all the doc pack created :X”
A ‘courtesy consultation’
On June 30, Department of Defence FOI staff member Lauren Semaan sent an email with the subject line “courtesy consultation PM&C and Defence”. The email requests “comments in relation to the proposed release, or reasons for non-disclosure”.
While there are some reasons third parties must be consulted as part of an FOI request, the repeated use of “courtesy consultation” throughout correspondence suggests these steps were not part of the required process.
Initially, a July 5 email from FOI staff at the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet’s ministerial support division said they had no concerns with the documents recommended for release.
But two and a half weeks later, an email from the prime minister’s office took issue with the documents set to be released.
“The PMO considers that only the attached email from [REDACTED] in the PMO, dated 6 May 2021, is within scope. All other emails and whatsapp [sic] messages provided with your original consultation are out of scope of the request,” the email read.
Two days later, Defence FOI case manager Kathryn Burke sent an email pushing back against the request: “There have been some discussions […] RAAF do not agree about one email (3 pages) as the only document in scope and our final pack is 24 pages.”
While Defence did end up releasing documents against the PMO’s recommendations, they documents provide a rare insight into the process of responding to FOI requests on a high-profile matter. They show how Morrison’s staff sought to influence public opinion limiting the amount of information released about a highly publicised and controversial topic for the prime minister.
Morrison only understands his role as PM through the prism of optics. It’s inconceivable, in this fog of self-elevation and self-regard, that his prime ministerial survival should be about anything other than winning the PR game. There is no red carpet too long, no mackerel too big, no truck horn too loud – optics are the only game in town. One can only image Morrison’s giddy delight at this particular photo-op – the PM’s plane, a red carpet, soldiers hoisting Aussie flags and matching face mask. The only shock is that the PM didn’t keep running back up the stairs and coming down again.
Like the finish, and he is a clown.
And all totally orchestrated by his departmental minders . . .
Sadly, many voters don’t care about niceties like this. Try to discuss the finer points of FOI laws with conservatives and their eyes are likely to glaze over. They don’t vote for Morrison, Dutton and Hunt et al because they’re nice blokes. They vote for them because they agree with and support the LNP’s overarching ideology. Increasingly, conservative voters (and politicians) are happy to discard the cloak of honesty and truth in favour of power and control. The UK and USA are also on the same path. Boris Johnson in London and Trump in Washington were also beneficiaries of this blinkered mentality. Furthermore, it is not just coincidence that the Murdoch media empire seem to control the political narrative in all three of these countries.
This is the challenge that faces the world’s leading democracies today. Democracy is not guaranteed; it must be fought for and defended.
How can there be an Australian democracy . . . if there is no transparency, accountability? Even more so, no leadership beyond self interest.
All aisded by Murdoch. Interesting how he only operates in these three jurisdictions where diemocracy is being trashed in favour of the chosen few.
And the other essential elements hovering in the background of this ecosystem in the Anglosphere are Koch think tanks and Tanton Network ‘immigration and/or environmental’ NGOs advising conservatives producing Brexit and Trump.
You are so right. Electorate including those who regularly vote Liberal and National and their companions Palmer and Hanson must wake up and recognize if they value whats left of our democracy that this lot must go.
‘Influence public opinion’? Try ‘breaking FOI laws’!
“If you’ve done nothing wrong, there’s nothing to worry about” – that’s why his office is on 24 Hour Worry Watch.
“Managing PR” is all Morrison’s ever been cut out for – and he’s sh*t at that.
Which is why he was fired from two previous PR jobs in tourism, forgetting the financial irregularities in Aotearoa.
The basis of that growing c.v record of an artful masterly penchant for dubious incompetence.
…. Post politics he might take up a position at some university lecturing in it …. make “Master of Dubious Incompetence” official?
I’m reminded of a Patrick Cook cartoon from the Fraser years – at a meeting of superheroes an aspiring entrant is asked his power and answers “I’m Master of Mass Distraction!”.
His then Treasurer learned – or, more liked, tricked – that power from him.
Don’t forget here as well sacked by a Liberal Minister under Howard!!!!!!!
The secrecy of this govt, AND the complete politicisation of the Public Service (since Howard, and aggravated since), the constant threat of cutting fiunding or privatisation (which only every means less service at a great cost to the taxpayer) – e.g ABC – is a very Trumpian / GOP policy to reduce democracy to the benefit of the chosen few . .