The Federal government calls it a ‘Human Services Access Card’

We call it for what it is: a National ID Card System

Media Reports – 2006

See also Media Reports during 2007.

There have been hundreds of media reports. Here are a few of them:

    • 27 December – Your data private? Access all areas is on the cards Op-Ed Piece by senior Labor MP Tanya Plibersek, The Sydney Morning Herald
    • 14 December – Possibilities abound for access card, ZDNet Australia
    • 14 December – Pubs, banks could be banned for asking for smartcard ID, The Age
    • 10 December – Getting smart: the Access Card, Background Briefing, ABC Radio
    • 26 November – Privacy warning over PM’s card plan, News.com.au
    • 5 September – Back to a basic card, The Australian IT Pages (Karen Dearne), incl. “Plans for the government services access card are being stripped back as federal Human Services Minister Joe Hockey tries to quell fears over its potential to become a de facto national identity scheme. Human Services Minister Joe Hockey has dumped early ideas of fancy extras, such as an e-purse for small cash transactions, or for card swipe entry into childcare centres, in favour of a more workable and palatable bare-bones approach. “What we are proposing is no more data on the access card than appears on the driver’s licence people are happy to share at the local video store,” Mr Hockey said. “There will be no big, combined database holding highly sensitive information.” Rising concern is evident in the first raft of submissions to the Access Card Consumer and Privacy Taskforce, headed by Professor Allan Fels. Revelations last week that Centrelink staff had been spying on their neighbours records inflamed debate over confidentiality. Attorney-General Philip Ruddock has said he will be “strongly encouraging” Mr Hockey to undertake a privacy impact assessment (PIA) on the card proposal, based on Privacy Office guidelines issued last week. Mr Hockey’s spokeswoman said extensive consultations were already underway. “The Minister is mindful that privacy is a very important issue,” she said. “That’s why he has told all his agencies there will be zero tolerance of privacy breaches.””