Kelvin Thomson (Wills, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Public Accountability and Human Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is addressed to the Minister for Human Services. Minister, is it the case that advice from the smartcard technology task force, KPMG and Medicare Australia has been overlooked and that the smartcard technology task force head, Mr James Kelaher, has resigned due to the unacceptable risk that ignoring such advice poses both to privacy protection and to cost?

Joe Hockey (North Sydney, Liberal Party, Minister for Human Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

No. This project has been flagged in this House for more than two years, initially as a Medicare smartcard, which the Labor Party pledged to take to the last election. In fact, I remember that the member for Lalor asked a question of the minister for health prior to the last election.

John Howard (Bennelong, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Was it a gold smartcard?

Joe Hockey (North Sydney, Liberal Party, Minister for Human Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

A gold smartcard! The minister for health held up a Medicare smartcard, a successful trial of which has been held in Tasmania over the last two years. There has been extensive community consultation in the lead-up to the development of this proposal. The creative proposal went to the government together with a proposed budget. KPMG did an independent assessment of the business case, and their strong advice was that the business case is essentially overwhelming for the card to be implemented. I particularly appreciate the public support from members of the Labor Party for the smartcard. There were a number of them, including the member for Lalor and the member for Wills. In fact, the Premier of Queensland has already beaten us to it and is implementing a Queensland smartcard drivers licence, and I particularly appreciate his support for that. We are happy to be as open and as transparent as possible on this project.

Simon Crean (Hotham, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Regional Development) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Then release the report!

Joe Hockey (North Sydney, Liberal Party, Minister for Human Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I have already indicated I am prepared to release the report. You have to catch up, Simon; there is nothing new in that. The first thing we need is for the Treasurer to be feeling a little generous tonight. If he is, then the project is well under way and, if that is the case, I am sure the opposition will join in the debate about just how good this card will be. I particularly appreciate the support of many Australians for the card. As the Prime Minister has said, the support, particularly from younger Australians, has been very strong. That is encouraging, because this card will replace 17 other human services cards. It will cut red tape for individuals and for business and it will be good for all Australians.