Chris Ellison (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Human Services) Share this | Hansard source

The registration process that we are proposing will comply with the national identity security strategy. The document verification system is  a parallel work in progress with the access card. There are similar principles involved in the access card as with the document verification service—that is, a cross-checking of identifiers without drilling down into the databases which stand behind those identifiers, be they drivers licence, Medicare card or passport, and, similarly, in relation to the access card, whether it be Veterans’ Affairs, Medicare or Centrelink. Those principles are in accordance with our national security for identity. We will be adopting those for our registration process.

Whilst I am answering Senator Forshaw’s question, it might be worth while if he took up with the opposition spokesman, Ms Plibersek, what the position of the Labor Party is on an access card. Do they propose something which will deliver benefits to all Australians in relation to streamlining access to government benefits? Do they propose cracking down on welfare fraud? These are questions they should answer. (Time expired)