Action Log
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Action Log – WA Animal Welfare Transparency
Section titled “Action Log – WA Animal Welfare Transparency”Maintained by Hanyu Liu
Last updated: November 2025
This is a structural record — not of what was achieved,
but of what was attempted, requested, refused, and left undocumented.
Each entry is part of a wider cycle:
→ Legal request → Institutional response or silence → Public memory trace.
This log preserves that cycle,
not as progress — but as accountability.
How to read symbols: ✓ Found · ~ In process · ∅ None · ✖ Hidden
🔁 Cycle 1 – FOI on Designated Inspectors (DPIRD)
Section titled “🔁 Cycle 1 – FOI on Designated Inspectors (DPIRD)”The first record of structural refusal.
A formal trace of institutional silence.
📅 FOI1 – Timeline of Requests and Responses
Section titled “📅 FOI1 – Timeline of Requests and Responses”| Date | Event | Linked Document |
|---|---|---|
| 5 Apr 2025 | FOI lodged to DPIRD (ID 52549500734) | FOI Request |
| 1 May 2025 | ∅ DPIRD states no inspection outcomes exist | FOI Response |
| 8 May 2025 | ✖ Section 26 refusal requested + public statement | Section 26 Statement |
| 21 May 2025 | ~ Extension to 6 June accepted | Due Date Extension |
| 30 May 2025 | ∅ Notice of Decision issued — confirms absence | Notice of Decision |
| 30 May 2025 | ~ Response cycle concluded and archived | Inspection Summary |
| 7 Jun 2025 | ✖ External review prematurely lodged with OIC | OIC Rejection Notice |
| 13 Jun 2025 | ~ Internal review formally requested from DPIRD | Internal Review Request Email |
| 18 Jun 2025 | ~ DPIRD confirms internal review process initiated | Internal Review Acknowledgement |
| 30 Jun 2025 | ~ DPIRD requests 1-week extension for internal review | Extension Request |
| 8 Jul 2025 | ✖ Internal review decision issued — contradiction arises | IR Decision |
📝 FOI1 Summary
Section titled “📝 FOI1 Summary”What was asked:
Whether Designated Inspectors (DIs) conducted inspections, produced outcome summaries, or faced internal review from 2022–2025.
What was revealed:
- ∅ Initial refusal under Section 26: no documents exist.
- Only a blank template released.
- ✖ Internal Review later admitted outcome reports exist — a direct contradiction.
Structural meaning:
FOI1 = Result vacuum. (The agency claimed no results existed, then contradicted itself.)
Status: ⏳ OIC external review ongoing (Ref: FOI2025-008).
📤 External Review – OIC
Section titled “📤 External Review – OIC”| Date | Event | Linked Document |
|---|---|---|
| 10 Jul 2025 | Complaint lodged with OIC under s.65 | ER Submission |
| 17 Jul 2025 | OIC accepts review but states no timeframe | ER Acknowledge |
| 16 Sep 2025 | OIC confirms no written case allocation policy | Clarification Request |
| 28 Sep 2025 | FOI lodged with OIC itself (re case protocols) | OIC FOI Application |
| 10 Oct 2025 | ✖ OIC refuses FOI request — cites Schedule 2 exemption | OIC FOI Refusal Letter |
📝 OIC Review Summary
Section titled “📝 OIC Review Summary”- Indefinite wait at acceptance (17 Jul); OIC Annual Report shows ~40% of reviews exceed 12 months (Report).
- No written allocation policy admitted (16 Sep) → discretionary, non-chronological triage = time black hole.
- Counter-FOI lodged with OIC to obtain case-management protocols.
- ✖ Refusal issued (10 Oct) under Freedom of Information Act 1992 Schedule 2 — OIC declares itself exempt from FOI, returning payment in full. → Oversight body formally confirms it operates outside the law it enforces.
Structural meaning:
OIC = procedural illusion.
A body that exists to guarantee transparency,
but is legally shielded from transparency itself.
🧭 Oversight Escalation (Cycle 1)
Section titled “🧭 Oversight Escalation (Cycle 1)”| Date | Institution | Event / Outcome | Linked Document |
|---|---|---|---|
| 17 Sep 2025 | Auditor General (OAG) | Submission lodged; OAG notes the matter in its intelligence database but confirms no audit action planned | OAG Reply |
| 22 Jul 2025 | Ombudsman | Complaint lodged against DPIRD for maladministration; Ombudsman replies it will wait until OIC finishes before acting | Ombudsman Letter |
| 25 Sep 2025 | Ombudsman | New complaint lodged — focuses on OIC’s indefinite delays and case allocation opacity | Complaint Form |
| 3 Oct 2025 | Ombudsman | Formal notice: no jurisdiction to investigate OIC, and DPIRD complaint placed on indefinite hold | Ombudsman No Jurisdiction |
| 9 Oct 2025 | Ombudsman | No further reply confirming the jurisdictional deadlock — OIC exempt, Ombudsman waiting on OIC, DPIRD untouched | Ombudsman No Reply |
| 16 Oct 2025 | Estimates & Financial Operations Committee | Acknowledged evidence of DPIRD funding irregularities; no follow-up recorded | Financial Committee Reply |
| 22 Oct 2025 | Public Administration Committee | Acknowledged receipt; further discussion suppressed from publication (archived privately) |
Structural meaning:
OIC = time black hole
Ombudsman = jurisdictional void
Parliament = symbolic containment
OAG = non-intervention
Together = oversight deadlock confirmed.
The Ombudsman correspondence confirms that because OIC is exempt under Schedule 1, clause 2 of the Parliamentary Commissioner Act 1971 (WA), it cannot be investigated, and since DPIRD’s FOI remains before the OIC, the Ombudsman will not act on DPIRD either — a closed circuit of procedural deferral.
🔁 Cycle 2 – FOI2: Oversight & Institutional Risk Blind Spots
Section titled “🔁 Cycle 2 – FOI2: Oversight & Institutional Risk Blind Spots”A structured escalation — from absence of data, to absence of oversight.
📅 FOI2 – Timeline
Section titled “📅 FOI2 – Timeline”| Date | Event | Linked Document |
|---|---|---|
| 10 Jul 2025 | FOI2 submitted to DPIRD | FOI2 Email, FOI2 Form |
| 10 Jul 2025 | ~ Acknowledgement of FOI2 by DPIRD | FOI2 Acknowledgement |
| 20 Aug 2025 | ~ Extension requested by DPIRD | Extension Email |
| 8 Sep 2025 | ∅ Notice of Decision: Section 26 — no oversight/risk/SOP | Notice of Decision |
| 10 Sep 2025 | ✖ Internal review request lodged | IR2 Application |
| 10 Sep 2025 | ~ IR2 acknowledged, due by 25 Sep | IR2 Acknowledge |
| 17 Sep 2025 | ~ IR2 extension requested | IR2 Extension |
| 2 Oct 2025 | ✖ Internal Review Decision — confirms unreasonable search & misconstruction | IR2 Decision |
| 2 Oct 2025 | ✓ External Review lodged with OIC (ER2) | ER2 Application |
📝 FOI2 Summary
Section titled “📝 FOI2 Summary”What was asked:
Whether DPIRD had any internal rules, risk assessments, or oversight systems for Designated Inspectors.
What was revealed:
- ∅ Refused under Section 26 — said no such documents exist.
- Searches limited only to the words “Designated Inspector,” missing broader terms like policy or risk.
- ✖ Internal Review confirmed this narrow search, showing the system avoided its own oversight.
Structural meaning:
FOI2 = Process vacuum.
The agency proved it has no rules or risk controls for its own inspectors.
Status: ⏳ External review now with OIC (Ref: ER2).
🔁 Cycle 3 – FOI3: Ministerial Briefings & Integrity Channels
Section titled “🔁 Cycle 3 – FOI3: Ministerial Briefings & Integrity Channels”From missing data → to missing escalation pathways.
📅 FOI3 – Timeline
Section titled “📅 FOI3 – Timeline”| Date | Event | Linked Document |
|---|---|---|
| 22 Aug 2025 | FOI3 lodged: ministerial briefings, OAG/Ombudsman contact, DI audits | FOI3 Application |
| 25 Aug 2025 | ~ DPIRD acknowledges FOI3 | FOI3 Acknowledge |
| 13 Oct 2025 | ∅ Notice of Decision — no ministerial briefings, no inter-agency reporting | Decision |
| 14 Oct 2025 | ✓ Internal Review lodged (IR3) | IR3 Application |
| 15 Oct 2025 | ✓ IR3 Acknowledgement received | IR3 Acknowledge |
| 24 Oct 2025 | ~ IR3 Extension Request from DPIRD | IR3 Extension |
| 7 Nov 2025 | ✖ Internal Review Decision (IR3) issued – confirms narrow search & declines expansion | IR3 Decision |
| 9 Nov 2025 | ✓ External Review Application lodged for FOI3 (ER3) | ER3 Application |
📝 FOI3 Summary
Section titled “📝 FOI3 Summary”What was asked:
Whether the Minister, Parliament, or oversight bodies ever received briefings or reports about these missing inspection systems.
What was revealed:
- ∅ DPIRD said no briefings, reports, or communications exist.
- ✖ This means no one above the Department has ever been formally told the system has no records.
- The chain of accountability ends where it begins.
Structural meaning:
FOI3 = Accountability vacuum.
No upward reporting, no escalation, no record of responsibility.
Status: ⏳ Internal review underway (IR3).
🔁 Cycle 4 – FOI4: Recordkeeping, Legal Authority & Financial Accountability
Section titled “🔁 Cycle 4 – FOI4: Recordkeeping, Legal Authority & Financial Accountability”The final mirror — forcing the system to see its own paperwork.
📅 FOI4 – Timeline
Section titled “📅 FOI4 – Timeline”| Date | Event | Linked Document |
|---|---|---|
| 12 Oct 2025 | ✓ FOI4 lodged – Recordkeeping, DI appointments, finances | FOI4 Application |
| 13 Oct 2025 | ✓ Acknowledgement received from DPIRD | FOI4 Acknowledge |
| 31 Oct 2025 | ✓ Applicant-initiated scope clarification to prevent s.20 refusal | FOI4 Scope Clarification Email |
📝 FOI4 Summary
Section titled “📝 FOI4 Summary”What was asked:
Whether DPIRD keeps proper records, appointments, and budgets for the Designated Inspector program — as required by the State Records Act 2000.
What was revealed:
- Request still in progress.
- If records exist, they should show how the program is managed and funded.
- If no records exist, it means even the paperwork behind enforcement has disappeared.
Structural meaning:
FOI4 = Compliance vacuum.
Tests whether the Department follows its own recordkeeping laws.
Even a refusal will prove the system cannot document itself.
Status: ⏳ Awaiting agency response.
🔁 Cycle 5 – FOI5: Minister’s Office Oversight (AWAC & DI Governance)
Section titled “🔁 Cycle 5 – FOI5: Minister’s Office Oversight (AWAC & DI Governance)”A vertical test of ministerial knowledge — whether oversight exists at the top of the chain.
📅 FOI5 – Timeline
Section titled “📅 FOI5 – Timeline”| Date | Event | Linked Document |
|---|---|---|
| 11 Nov 2025 | ✓ FOI5 lodged to Minister’s Office – AWAC reports, DI governance briefings, ministerial oversight | FOI5 Application |
📝 FOI5 Summary
Section titled “📝 FOI5 Summary”What was asked:
Whether the Minister holds:
- AWAC annual reports (required under ToR cl.5.1 — see AWAC Terms of Reference)
- DI governance briefings
- Any ministerial-level oversight records (2022–present)
Structural meaning:
FOI5 = Ministerial Oversight Vacuum
Tests whether the top tier of government possesses any trace of the missing systems found in FOI1–FOI4.
Status: ⏳ Awaiting acknowledgement and decision.
✉️ Institutional Contact Log
Section titled “✉️ Institutional Contact Log”All correspondence here is public interest–driven, grouped by institutional role.
Each FOI cycle: the institutions listed below are notified by broadcast email of new outcomes.
Note: This log only covers accountability broadcasts to institutional nodes. One-on-one exchanges with NGOs or individuals are not archived.
1. Government Oversight & Accountability
Section titled “1. Government Oversight & Accountability”- WA FOI Commissioner (OIC)
- WA Ombudsman
- Office of the Auditor General (OAG)
- Public Administration Committee Secretariat
- Environment and Public Affairs Committee Secretariat
- Minister for Agriculture & Food
- Animal Welfare Advisory Committee (AWAC)
2. Animal Welfare & Advocacy Organisations
Section titled “2. Animal Welfare & Advocacy Organisations”- Animal Justice Party (AJP WA)
- Animals Australia
- RSPCA WA
- Anonymous for the Voiceless (Perth)
- Sentient
- Animal Liberation
- Australian Alliance for Animals
- Voiceless
3. Media & Public Scrutiny
Section titled “3. Media & Public Scrutiny”- ABC News
- WA Today
- The West Australian
- The Guardian Australia
- SBS Australia
- 9News
- PerthNow
- Crikey
- Farm Transparency Project (FTP)
- The Conversation
4. Political/Parliamentary Recipients
Section titled “4. Political/Parliamentary Recipients”- WA Greens (incl. Jess Beckerling MLC)
- WA Labor (committee members)
- Legislative Council Members (Standing Committees)
- Select Committee on Animal Welfare
5. Broadcast Emails
Section titled “5. Broadcast Emails”- FOI1 Broadcast – Parliament, NGOs, Media
- FOI2 Broadcast – Parliament, NGOs, Media
- FOI3 Broadcast – Parliament, NGOs, Media
📥 Responses Received
Section titled “📥 Responses Received”- Jess Beckerling (Greens WA)
- Public Administration Committee Secretariat
- Office of Sandra Carr MLC
- Estimates & Financial Operations Committee Secretariat
- Public Administration Committee Secretariat — acknowledged receipt without commitment or timeline; follow-up discussion suppressed from publication and likely indefinitely archived, so the original correspondence cannot be publicly released.
- Parliamentary Reply re FOI3 (Oct 2025)
🧭 Forthcoming Cycles
Section titled “🧭 Forthcoming Cycles”- Cycle 5: Minister’s Office FOI – briefings and correspondence on DI & AWAC (pending)
- Cycle 6: Ombudsman complaint on OIC delays (planned)
- Cycle 7: Parliamentary committee briefings (drafting)
- Archive Expansion: visual timelines, cross-agency vacuum maps, systemic silence analytics.
This archive is not static.
Each new request is a test of what the system refuses to hold.
This is not against institutions.
It is against the belief that animals can disappear without a trace.
🔄 FOI Process Flow
Section titled “🔄 FOI Process Flow”FOI Request (Freedom of Information)
↓
Agency Response
- ✓ Documents released
- ∅ “No documents” (Section 26)
- ✖ Refused / Exempt
- ~ Extension / Procedural delay
↓
Internal Review (IR) - Applicant challenges decision inside same agency
- Agency may confirm, reverse, or contradict itself
↓
External Review (ER) – OIC - Independent review of whether the search was “reasonable”
- BUT: often indefinite backlog, opaque allocation
↓
Ombudsman / Auditor General / Parliament - Higher oversight bodies
- Risk of deadlock: Ombudsman won’t act until OIC concludes
↓
Public Archive (unseenbeings.org) - All refusals, delays, contradictions documented as record
📖 Glossary of Key Terms
Section titled “📖 Glossary of Key Terms”- FOI (Freedom of Information) – Legal right to request government documents.
- Section 26 – Official refusal: agency claims “no documents exist.”
- IR (Internal Review) – Second look by the same agency when you challenge a decision.
- ER (External Review) – Escalation to the Information Commissioner (OIC). Checks only if a “reasonable search” was done.
- OIC (Office of the Information Commissioner) – Handles ER, but operates with backlog and no transparent triage rules.
- Ombudsman – Investigates maladministration, but usually only after OIC finishes → procedural loop.
- OAG (Office of the Auditor General) – Audits government operations, but rarely intervenes in live FOI disputes.
- DPIRD (Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development) – WA government department responsible for animal welfare enforcement.
- AWAC (Animal Welfare Advisory Committee) – Statutory committee meant to advise on animal welfare policy and oversight; however, in practice provides no evidence of supervising DI enforcement.
- Vacuum – A structural gap: missing results, missing processes, or missing accountability.
- Deadlock – Oversight bodies blocking each other; no action moves forward.
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