Welcome

Welcome to the campaign website. I hope you can get both an idea of what kind of threat the Access Card represents, and what you can do about this threat to our freedom.

The Campaign was launched at the June meeting of the Australian Adam Smith Club, with a speech by Convenor Tim Warner. The speech can be downloaded here (180k pdf file).

We will be organising a series of public talks and distribution runs in the coming weeks - bookmark this site - OR - click the RSS feed to stay tuned.

Volunteers will be needed in Melbourne and across Australia to help with events and distribution - volunteer here



There are a number of sites we warmly recommend for their coverage of the important issues in considering the ID Card debate. The Electronic Frontiers Australia site has a Privacy and Surveillance section that has a very good paper on the Access Card and its' technical failings.

The Australian Privacy Foundation has a campaign site running here which has good lists of MPs and some good FAQ papers to provide intellectual ammunition in the case against The Card.

The timeline has been as follows
26 Apr 2006 - Minister Hockey announces a new initiative to combine all identification necessary for Government services on card to be called the Access Card.

24 May 2006 - Hockey announces Prof Fels to chair Consumer and Privacy Taskforce to ensure public confidence

12 Jun 2006 - Prof Graham Greenleaf release 'Quacking like a Duck' - a paper comparing the Access Card to the failed 1987 Australia Card proposal

16 Jun 2006 - Prof Fels releases Discussion Paper #1 on Access card

19 Jun 2006 - Launch of 'Access Card No Way Campaign'

27 Jul 2006 - all comments on Discussion paper #1 had to lodged

08 Nov 2006 - Hockey releases Report #1 by the Consumer & Privacy Taskforce, the Federal Governments response (and rejection of four key findings) at a National Press Club Speech.

13 Dec 2006 - Access Card Office releases an Exposure Draft of the 'Access Card Bill'. Asks for comment - by Fri Jan 12th 2007!

6 Feb 2007 - Slightly redrafted Bill passed by the Liberal Party room after strong debate. 7 Feb 2007 - Access Card presented to Parliament, Senate Inquiry instituted. Calls for Submission by 28th February, Report to be tabled by 15th March. The Committee handling the Report to be the Senate Finance and Public Administration Committee - Senator Stott-Despoja to be a proxy for Senator Murray 3, 5 & March 2007 - Hearings in Sydney, Melbourne & Canberra of Senate Inquiry 15 Mar 2007 - Senate Report - Majority (Liberal) Report states the Bill is unsuitable for consideration, lacks key details and should only be considered as part of Bill including all pertinent mechanisms intended for the scheme. 15 Mar 2007 - Minister Ellison withdraws the Bill and states that after consultation he will place a new improved Bill to the Parliament in June 2007. Please register as a Volunteer. Please keep up to speed by checking this site and the Privacy Foundation and Electronic Frontiers. Silence and apathy are the greatest dangers - if citizens are aware of the risks then this proposal will be stopped dead. We have to start from NO WAY! Anything less is a a tragic loss of our freedom.