Media Release
Hockey Announces Access Card Briefings
27 November 2006
The Minister for Human Services, The Hon. Joe Hockey MP, today announced details of industry and community briefings on the Australian Government’s health and social services access card.
The briefings will take place on Wednesday 13 December in Sydney and have three main aims.
- Inform the IT industry about the project prior to tenders being released.
- Provide privacy and consumer advocates with further details about the project.
- Release an exposure draft of the access card legislation for public consultation.
“This is another example of my commitment to consult widely with consumer groups, industry and the public,” Minister Hockey said. “These briefings are an important part of this process.”
“I am inviting interested parties to attend an industry briefing on procurement activities. The industry briefing will provide information to companies interested in responding to upcoming tenders dealing with the development and implementation of the access card.”
Following the industry briefing, a second session will be held for parties interested in consumer, security and privacy issues.
“I am personally writing to each individual or organisation that provided a written submission to Professor Allan Fels’ Privacy and Consumer Taskforce, inviting them to attend the briefing.
Marie Johnson, the Chief Technology Architect from the Office of Access Card, will conduct the session.
“Ms Johnson will explain how the technology, combined with proposed legislation, will keep secure and protect individual card holders’ privacy,” Minister Hockey said.
“I will also be releasing for public consultation an exposure draft of the access card legislation. I have asked the Department of Human Services to consult both directly and through the Consumer and Privacy Taskforce to refine the legislation before its introduction to Parliament next year,” Minister Hockey said.
For more information about the briefings visit: www.australia.gov.au/accesscard.