Ama Raps Access Card Legislation
The Age
Tuesday January 23, 2007
LEGISLATION to prevent the Government's health and welfare access card from becoming an identity card is meaningless, according to a response to draft laws meant to govern its use.
The Australian Medical Association has slammed Government attempts to prevent the access card - which will replace 17 social services cards by 2010 - from becoming an identity card with legislation vesting ownership with the holder.In a provision Canberra says is likely to be a world-first, the legislation makes the individual holder the card owner rather than the Government. Usually the body that issues a card - whether it is a government, a bank or a gym - owns the card. The AMA said this provision is "purely cosmetic and potentially misleading" given that individuals will have little control over the information on the card. "This proclamation of 'ownership' seems therefore to be completely meaningless, and possibly misleading," the AMA's submission says. A spokeswoman for the card's technology architect said that while individuals holders would own the plastic, the Commonwealth would own the information.
© 2007 The Age
Share This