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Chapter 1 - Introduction
Background
1.1
On 8 February 2007, the Senate referred the provisions of the Human
Services (Enhanced Service Delivery) Bill 2007 to the Finance and Public
Administration Committee for inquiry and report by 15 March 2007, on the recommendation of the Selection of Bills Committee.
1.2
The Committee was charged with examining, among other things, the bill's
provisions relating to the intended scope and purposes of the card; the
information to be included in the card register and the card's chip and on the
card's surface; and the range of offences aimed at prohibiting persons
requiring an access card for identification purposes and prohibiting other
improper uses of the card.
Purpose of the bill
1.3
The purpose of the bill is to facilitate the provision by participating
agencies of benefits, services, programs, or facilities to some or all members
of the public, through establishing a framework for the proposed Health and
Social Services Access Card (the access card). According to the bill, the access
card is intended to:
- Reduce complexity in accessing Commonwealth benefits;
- Facilitate a more convenient, user-friendly and reliable method
of accessing those benefits;
- Reduce fraud on the Commonwealth;
- Improve access to Australian Government relief in emergency
situations; and
- Permit access card owners to use their cards for such other
lawful purposes as they choose.
1.4
The Explanatory Memorandum further explains that the bill:
- Sets out the objects and purposes of the legislation which will
form a basis for the uses of the card and a basis for collection, use and
disclosure of information on the register and card;
- Provides for the introduction of a new chip-based card to replace
the Medicare Card and numerous other cards and vouchers used to access Australian
Government benefits;
- Establishes the register and the card to provide certainty as to
the information that will be on the register, surface of the card, and in the
chip in the access card;
- Introduces a registration process for the card with substantially
improved proof of identity arrangements;
- Prohibits unauthorised demands for, and use of, the access card
for identity purposes; and
- Vests ownership of the access card in the card holder.
1.5
It is an object of the bill that the access card cannot be used as, or
become, a national identity card.
1.6
The bill is the first part of a broader legislative package designed to
establish the framework supporting the access card. It has been developed
following a consultation process. The bill incorporates many of the
recommendations made by the Access Card Consumer and Privacy Taskforce, led by Professor
Allan Fels AO.[1]
It has also been informed by public comments relating to an exposure draft of
the bill, which was released for consultation on 13 December 2006.[2]
As part of the continuing legislative process, ongoing consultations on a range
of issues, such as the use of the card in dealing with dependents, are being
undertaken. The Access Card Consumer and Privacy Taskforce is also continuing
its consultations and will provide further advice to the Government.
Conduct of the Inquiry
1.7
The Committee advertised the inquiry in The Australian on 12
February, 21 February and 7 March 2007, inviting submissions by 28 February 2007. To help promote awareness of the inquiry, the committee also advertised
in the Australian Financial Review, the Sydney Morning Herald and
The Melbourne Age on 12 February 2007, and the Chair contacted by way of
email the editors of as many news publications as possible, encouraging them to
publicise details of the inquiry.
1.8
Sixty-six submissions were received, and these are listed at Appendix 1.
Submissions were also posted on the Committee's website to facilitate public
access. The Committee held hearings in Sydney on 2 March 2007, in Melbourne on 5 March 2007 and in Canberra on 6 March 2007. A list of the witnesses who
appeared at the hearings is at Appendix 2, and copies of the Hansard transcript
are available through
the Internet at http://www.aph.gov.au/Senate/committee/fapa_ctte/index.htm.
Acknowledgement
1.9
The committee appreciates the time and work of all those who provided
written and oral submissions to the inquiry, particularly in light of the tight
time frame imposed. Their work has assisted the committee considerably in its Inquiry.
Note on references
1.10
References in this report are to individual submissions as received by
the committee, not to a bound volume. References to the committee Hansard are
to the proof Hansard: page numbers may vary between the proof and the official
Hansard transcript.
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