national id card back on agenda

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=20185

National ID card back on agenda
08:03 AEST Fri Oct 15 2004


The Australian Federal Police (AFP) has reportedly urged the commonwealth government to consider a national identity card to help combat terrorism.

The Australian newspaper reports that AFP chief Mick Keelty says identity-related crime, which costs Australia about $1.1 billion a year, was an "enabler" for almost every form of domestic and international organised crime, including terrorism.

Identity crimes were commonly used to finance and facilitate subsequent crimes involving drugs, weapons, people smuggling and fraud.

The AFP's national manager for economic and special operations Shane Connelly told an Asia-Pacific conference in Canberra on Thursday there was evidence that identity theft and fraud had been used to support terrorist operations, including the September 11 attacks in the US and the Bali bombings.

A proposed national identity card, called the Australia Card, created a furore when mooted in the late 1980s.

However, Mr Connelly said the problem of fraud and terrorism was such that policy-makers should revisit the issue, The Australian reported.

The original debate on the Australia Card was the primary catalyst behind the creation of the federal office of the Privacy Commissioner.

Australian Privacy Foundation board member Nigel Waters has welcomed the call for a national debate on the issue, but warns an Australia Card-style single number identifier for all citizens was a "simplistic and knee-jerk reaction to a complex problem".

A spokesman for Justice Minister Chris Ellison said there were no plans for an Australia Card-style identification system.

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Cheers,

Fig Jam

If liberals have balance of power in the Senate, no stopping the Australia Card this time around.

I see no reason for anybody to reject the card.

JMHO