G.P.O. Box 1196
Sydney NSW 2001

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http://www.privacy.org.au/	

MEDIA RELEASE
ID card flaws in budget strategy
8 May 2006

James Kelaher, the head of the Federal government 'smart' card task force has resigned, "warning Human Services Minister Joe Hockey against financial management and privacy protection plans" for the billion dollar ID card project, urging him not to base the project inside new Dept of Human Services, and not to abandon a proposed external expert/stakeholder advisory board offering independent checks on privacy and security, according to  AFR.

This conscience resignation of the new Australian ID Card's architect confirms the Australian Privacy Foundation's key concerns. The project:
•	is not ready for a $multi-billion budget commitment
•	lacks proper governance, particularly in relation to personal data security and privacy issues, and
•	is proceeding without adequate safeguards protecting everyone who will be a subject of the card and its associated online databases.

"The Budget should not contain $1 Billion for a project the details of which are so uncertain, and on which such doubt has already been cast by one of its architects as well as by external experts", said David Vaile, Vice Chair of the Australian Privacy Foundation.

"The government's refusal so far to release any significant information about the details of the massive project, and their dismissive underestimation of cost, technical and security questions, suggests they may have something to hide - probably that they have not done their homework on these key issues", said Mr Vaile.

The Australian Privacy Foundation called for:

(a) the immediate release of full technical, risk management, security, privacy, governance, cost/benefit, stakeholder input and operational details about the plan, and

(b) the project to be immediately put on hold until the government has taken the population into its confidence and the unresolved problems have been identified and analysed with input from external stakeholders and security, privacy and IT risk management experts.

Media comment:					David Vaile, Vice Chair, Australian Privacy Foundation

M: 0414 731 249    (Sydney)
E: vicechair@privacy.org.au
W: http://www.privacy.org.au/