Michael Forshaw (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is directed to Minister Ellison, the Minister for Human Services. I refer to the report tabled by the Senate finance and public administration committee last week on the implementation of the government’s access card. Doesn’t the report of the committee which was chaired by Senator Mason provide a damning indictment that the government’s—

John Faulkner (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The now promoted Senator Mason.

Michael Forshaw (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yes, promoted obviously as a result of this excellent report. This report of the committee, which was chaired by Senator Mason, was a damning indictment of the government’s management of the access card implementation. Does the minister agree with Senator Mason’s excellent report that the government’s rushed implementation of the access card makes achieving the central aim of reducing Medicare and welfare fraud difficult? Will the minister guarantee that the access card proposal will not be reintroduced without proper safeguards and transparent and meaningful debate within the Australian community?

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

I think that one should look at the report and realise that the senators on that committee supported the aim behind the access card—namely, to improve the delivery of benefits and services to Australians who are in receipt of government benefits and services, which I mentioned earlier. Also, they supported the fact that the aim was to make it easier to deal with government agencies, reduce fraud and, importantly, replace 16 cards and one voucher. So from that Senate committee report we have support for the government’s aims behind the access card.

The comments that Senator Forshaw point to were made in the context of a recommendation of the Senate committee that they wanted the bill as one package instead of two tranches, just one package—and I have agreed to that. It is business as usual, and we will introduce a single package. We will refer that to the Senate committee to have a look at. In that package there will be the framework, the safeguards with appeals processes and other aspects; and there will be time for the Senate committee to look at it. That is what I have said; it is as straightforward as that.

I think that people should look at the positive aspects of the evidence given to that Senate committee. A lot of people in the community acknowledge overwhelmingly that the current technology we have with the Medicare card is way out of date. It is 23 years old, and we should move with the times. Smartcard technology, which I think Senator Lundy even endorsed, is the way to go in delivering services to make them more efficient for Australians receiving those benefits, saving money for Australian taxpayers and cutting down on fraud. All of those aims were supported by the Senate committee, and that is what we are about.

I have agreed to the main recommendation of the committee, and there has been ongoing consultation. I have started seeing stakeholders in relation to the access card and will be seeing them over the next two to three weeks and talking to them individually. As well as that, Professor Fels will carry on his work in relation to the discussion  papers that he and his committee are working on. They will be released for discussion. I point out to the Senate and those listening that the first tranche of bills did have an exposure draft, which was released for discussion, as well as previous discussion papers. This consultation process is ongoing, and there will be a single package which we will bring back to the parliament for scrutiny.

Michael Forshaw (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. I note the minister has referred to one paragraph regarding the report and the aims. I invite him to read the other 92 pages, which were a condemnation of the government’s processes and approach. One of the issues of major concern that were raised was the registration process. Can the minister confirm that the document verification service and online system to link the state births, deaths and marriages registers with the Australian government agencies will not be completed until 2010? Given that delay, isn’t it going to be impossible for the government to do a manual check of every birth and marriage certificate presented by an estimated average 35,000 people applying each day for the access card from April of 2008? Minister, isn’t it a fact that your government has just botched this project?

Chris Ellison (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Human Services) Share this | Link to 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)