David Shoebridge (NSW, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the minister for the contribution. I note the minister said there is a pyramid of enforcement measures. If it is a pyramid, it is absolutely built on sand, with minimal actual enforcement measures. Most of us, if we're honest, would accept that cranky letters, rude notices or angry reports from the Information Commissioner have not worked in the past to keep our privacy safe, and those kinds of existing remedies will not work, going into the future, to keep our privacy safe. So, if that's the pyramid the government thinks has any kind of utility or use, I think reality and what everyday Australians are feeling on a day-in, day-out basis with the privacy breaches they've been suffering would suggest otherwise. That being said, I do acknowledge the government has now given the commitment to move to have a tiered approach, which is what I understand the minister was saying, that the intent is to deliver a tiered approach which will give some capacity for the regulator to actually use the powers. But I would be interested to know from the minister what the time frame is to deliver that tiered approach, because the longer we go without it the longer we go in basically having lawless provisions. That is, no real, enforceable provisions for privacy.