McMahon and Queensland Ombudsman

McMahon and Queensland Ombudsman
(2001 S0258, 5 December 2002) 

The applicant sought access to documents relating to a job selection process conducted by the respondent some two and a half years earlier, in which the applicant had been an unsuccessful candidate.  Most of the responsive documents had been destroyed in accordance with the respondent's authorised disposal schedule.  The applicant was given access to surviving documents, subject to the deletion of identifying information in respect of other unsuccessful job applicants. 

The Deputy Information Commissioner affirmed the respondent's decision that such identifying matter qualified for exemption under s.44(1) of the FOI Act, applying the principles established in Baldwin and Department of Education (1996) 3 QAR 251.  The Deputy Information Commissioner was also satisfied, from the comprehensive searches undertaken during the course of the review, that no additional responsive documents existed in the possession or under the control of the respondent.