FOI Internal Review Decision Letter.

Written by Claude Haiku 4.5 from the extracted text on 27 Feb 2026. It can miss or misread redacted and scanned pages. Check the source before relying on it.

The ATO's internal review decision upheld its original FOI refusal regarding employment records related to feedback and complaints about a Commissioner's "Collingwood Fan" cartoon email. The applicant had requested access to complaints received, responses provided, and related documents, with three documents granted in part and one refused entirely. On internal review, the ATO maintained this decision, adopting the original reasons and providing additional justification under exemption 47E(c) concerning SpeakUp integrity complaint records. The ATO argued that maintaining confidentiality of SpeakUp complaints is essential to preserve staff confidence in the internal reporting system, as submissions are made with a reasonable expectation of privacy. The decision prioritises protecting the integrity complaints process and staff confidentiality over public disclosure, even where the applicant claimed to possess handwritten notes of the material from an ATO employee.