[LINK] Govt agrees to delay smart card legislation

[Bernard Robertson-Dunn]

Govt agrees to delay smart card legislation
ABC News
http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200703/s1873020.htm

The Federal Government has agreed to delay the first round of 
legislation designed to introduce a high-tech access card for health and 
welfare services.

A Senate inquiry recommended the move because it could not properly 
assess the bill without seeing privacy and governance measures which 
were to be included in future legislation.

The committee found the smart card's security features appear stronger 
than the Medicare card, but it cannot be assumed it will not be 
vulnerable to corruption and misuse.

Committee chairman, Liberal Senator Brett Mason, says all the issues 
should be considered in a consolidated Bill.

"The aims of the access card, I think by all members of the committee 
were supported, to facilitate access to welfare and to fight fraud," he 
said.

"I think that everyone agrees that the Medicare card, its usefulness has 
come and gone and that the system has to be upgraded and new technology 
taken on board, now it's a matter of ironing out the detail to what's 
the best system of doing that."

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Regards
brd

Bernard Robertson-Dunn
Sydney Australia
brd at iimetro.com.au