The federal government has reiterated that the proposed AU$1.09 billion Access Card will not be used as a national identity card.
Human Services minister Chris Ellison made the claim yesterday on the back of the release of an exposure draft of legislation for the Access Card.
The draft -- which includes Human Services (Enhanced Service Delivery) Bill 2007 and the Human Services (Enhanced Services Delivery)(Consequential Provisions) Bill 2007 -- was handed to media, but not tabled in parliament.
Senator Ellison said the draft Bill clearly states the government's intention that Access Cards will not be used as a form of identification.
He said a range of penalties for attempts to demand the card as ID, as well as protections against unauthorised access to personal information contained on the Access Card Register are contained within the draft.
Ellison believes support for the Access Card is broad, but there is a desire from stakeholders to see more detail on issues surrounding privacy and security. "I have consistently said these concerns would be addressed in the new legislation."
The draft legislation -- available for public comment over a two-month period -- can be downloaded from the Access Card Web site: www.accesscard.gov.au.
I would like to thank the reporter for covering this issue and one must ask; whether Australians really know what is driving the federal government to implement such a card when it opposed the Australia Card?
As a opponent of the card and having an open mind on a number of issues, I have followed the debate on the need to do away with all health and concession cards.
Perhaps the Minister for Human Services should've allowed the legislation to be reviewed by a parliamentary (Senate) committee during the two months that the government is allowing Australians to lodge a submission.
As Australian voters will have a clear choice at the next election; will the Access Card be a issue?
The Australian Democrats have mounted an interesting campaign on their website opposed to the card being introduced and yet, limited support from the federal opposition on the card.
As the Department of Human Services has on its website (Access Card) the legislation, Minister Ellison should have allowed a Senate committee to review the legislation. Noting that the minister may have changed his position on referring the bills to a committee; is he side-lining the process by allowing the public to comment?
We know that the government wants to reduce the amount of welfare and other Commonwealth fraud but this position can also be challenged.
I wonder how many Australians would be prepared to march themselves into a government agency and have a interview to prove their identity and secondly, having their photograph taken. I further note that the Queensland Government is implementing a Smartcard driver's licence.
The Minister for Human Services will over the next two months have to please those within the government ranks re their opposition.
The question must also be asked re why minister didn't table it in the parliament?
It is clearly an attempt to get the public onside even though work may already be under way for a national data storage facility in a southern state.
With the Department of Human Services being the project manager; has the Department of Veterans' Affairs been side-lined by allowing the DHS to have the final say? I also wonder if there's wide-spread support amongst the veteran's community and organisations for the need for a new card?
The government is going to have to amend a great deal of Acts also.