Access to information
You can request access information we hold and learn how we protect your privacy.
How we manage, hold and share information
As an integrity agency, we are committed to supporting access to information and to promoting accountability. On this page, we explain how we deal with requests for information that is held or owned by us, as well as how we collect, use and disclose your personal information.
We do this in accordance with the following principles:
- we will release information when we lawfully can
- we will communicate and be responsive
- we respect your privacy and confidentiality.
If you want to request information, or have any concern about your privacy, contact us at info@mpc.gov.au. We will acknowledge your request within two business days, and for information that relates to you, it is likely we can release this to you without you needing to make a formal FOI request. We may need to verify your identity to do so.
Much of the information we hold has been collected in the course of exercising our statutory functions and may be protected information. The Merit Protection Commissioner has a limited discretion to release protected information under s 72B of the Public Service Act 1999 and s 65AB of the Parliamentary Service Act 1999, including in circumstances where doing so may be in the public interest and is not likely to interfere with the performance of our statutory functions.
We comply with our obligations under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act) and the Privacy Act 1988, however information collected in relation to the performance of our Parliamentary Service Merit Protection Commissioner functions is exempt from the FOI Act by s 68A(b) of Parliamentary Service Act 1999. See our full information access policy:
More detailed information about how we handle information in relation to FOI requests and privacy, and our information access plan is provided below.