Brandis and PwC silent on Xmas Eve metadata quiz

Neither the Attorney-General’s department nor PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) will comment on why a questionnaire sent to carriers and internet service providers on Christmas Eve asked about the cost of storing metadata for either 12 or 36 months, rather than the 24 months suggested in draft legislation. As Vulture South reported …

[Gray Ham]

This is one time I'd really love to see some industry collusion and price-fixing .... ISPs tendering for federal government business should automatically double their quotes to cover any additional costs ...

[dan1980]

"It would be inappropriate to discuss the details of these consultations while they are ongoing."

It's just not bloody good enough though completely expected.

What the above response translates to is "we don't want to tell you what we're doing because we don't want you to criticise us or point out the numerous known flaws and deliberate misrepresentations".

Regardless, from what I can tell, no one was asking them what the result of content of the consultations where but why they are asking the questions they are asking. (And why they are doing so with this odd timing.)

I don't expect them to reveal a transcript of conversation they are having with the ISPs (as they reveal sensitive commercial details from those companies) but asking them to explain their own actions is not even close to the same things.

[Diogenes]

Easy answer

100 billion $ for 1 year,

1 trillion for 3

that should cover any contingency (and scare the beejayzus out of him)

[Anonymous Coward]

We want your data

Stop asking questions.

Comply.

[Anonymous Coward]

Welcome to the world of consulting.

Because.....

While Pwc billed the Attorney General for 60 men days of partner and expert time to come up with the questionnaire, the truth is that the whole thing was written in 3 hours by an inebriated intern after the company christmas party....

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Welcome to the world of consulting.

Standard practice.

Big boys from both sides meet at golf, agree on a restructure/plan/change and a consultancy price.

Staff at the target company then landed with Consultancy bods with fancy titles who are mere post-grads and interns (with less experience than those they are providing 'expertise' to). These 'experts' make the decisions.

[DeKrow]

Metadata request denied

You weren't asking for content, just data describing the intent of the content, ie. metadata. Ironically, even the metadata is obviously too sensitive to be appropriate to discuss whilst the consultation is on-going? (double-ironically, this sounds like law enforcement speak).

Go Team Australia...