Digital ID Bill

Labor’s Digital ID Bill Forced Through Senate Without Debate

28 March 2024

2.9 MINS

The Albanese Government’s Digital ID Bill, which has sparked concerns about government abuse and overreach, was pushed through the senate without debate by a Labor-Greens alliance on Wednesday.

Labor and Greens senators teamed up late Wednesday afternoon to ensure the Albanese Government’s controversial Digital ID Bill was forced through the nation’s House of Review without review.

A vote to debate the legislation tied 33 apiece, preventing senators from asking any questions about the proposal. Subsequently, the Bill itself went to a vote and sailed through parliament with 33 ayes from an alliance of Labor, Greens, Jacqui Lambie Network and independent senators.

The Coalition, One Nation and the United Australia Party’s collective 26 votes were not enough to halt the passage of the Bill, which stands as one of around 90 pieces of legislation to be shoehorned through the senate without discussion under the Albanese Government.

The Bill has enjoyed widespread support from Australia’s political and corporate elites. A fast-tracked inquiry gave Australians just one month to make submissions, and though the report noted that “most individuals who made submissions to the inquiry opposed the bills either fully or in part,” the Senate Economics Legislation Committee recommended it be passed.

One of the Bill’s vocal supporters was former Privacy Commissioner Malcolm Crompton, who just one month ago assured Australians that the senate would give the legislation proper scrutiny.

“It will be given a hard time in the Senate, which is a good thing because then we should be able to straighten out any of the weaknesses that are in the Bill,” he told A Current Affair in February.

Canberra Celebrates, Australians Mourn

Finance Minister Katy Gallagher, who has led Labor’s push to digitise Australians’ identification, celebrated the result, writing on X Wednesday evening, “The Albanese Labor Government is making it easier, simpler and more secure for you to access government services online.”

Her enthusiasm was not shared by other users, however, with thousands of negative comments posted under her tweet and less than 300 likes after almost 250,000 views.

By contrast, prominent senators who voted against the Bill found widespread  support for their messages of lamentation.

“Tonight, the Labor Government rammed through their Digital ID Bill without debate,” wrote Liberal Senator Alex Antic. “An absolutely extraordinary thing to do given the ramifications of this Bill for all Australians.”

“It is a sad day for democracy,” mourned UAP Senator Ralph Babet.

Their posts and others by Senators Pauline Hanson and Malcolm Roberts quickly collected thousands of likes.

Concerns About Labor’s Digital ID Bill

The stated aim of Labor’s Digital ID Bill is to consolidate and digitise Australians’ identification credentials, including their driver’s license, Medicare card, passport details and Centrelink information.

While the Albanese Government has promoted the Bill as a way to streamline and simplify Australians’ access to services, many concerns have been raised about what the legislation will lead to.

In submissions to the senate inquiry, Australians warned that by centralising and digitising personal information, the public would face heightened vulnerabilities to cyber-attacks, privacy breaches and unauthorised surveillance.

Organisations such as the New South Wales Council for Civil Liberties, Digital Rights Watch, Family Voice Australia, the Law Council of Australia and the Canberra Declaration expressed strong opposition to the Bill due to concerns about inadequate data protections, function creep, privacy issues and human rights abuses.

Senators Matt Canavan and Gerard Rennick’s dissenting report also highlighted the lack of limitations on agency powers and inadequate safeguards against misuse of personal and biometric data, as well as concerns about law enforcement access.

The broad powers granted under the Bill were likewise criticised, in particular the vague condition that digital ID usage could be mandated if deemed “appropriate to do so” by a government agency.

Indeed, as one social media user highlighted in a video compilation, the Katy Gallagher assuring Australians that Digital ID will be voluntary is the same Katy Gallagher who promised that Covid-19 injections would be voluntary.

The Bill will now pass to the House of Representatives for debate.

___

Image courtesy of Freepik.

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11 Comments

  1. Kathy Gasper 28 March 2024 at 8:21 am - Reply

    Expected but disappointing. I’m thankful for those senators who opposed it and God is in control.

  2. Lyn Grindley 28 March 2024 at 9:38 am - Reply

    We have contacted our MP to oppose this Bill as it goes back to the lower house. We have signed One Nation petition to have it repealed. Take action now. There are good people standing up for the Australian people and their rights and we continue to pray for them.

  3. Rae Bewsher 28 March 2024 at 10:15 am - Reply

    This is separating the sheep from the goats in our parliament as we see them in action. I hope that in time Labour will deeply regret their actions in this. Elections have consequences.

  4. Christine Crawford 28 March 2024 at 10:54 am - Reply

    Words fail me. A Government that has no regard for the people’s wishes. Thankyou to those politicians who stood up for democracy and voted against this despicable bill.

  5. Gail Petherick 28 March 2024 at 11:30 am - Reply

    What a red flag for the whole of Australia. I think our Prime Minister has shown his true colors and used the opportune timing of this bill just before Passover/Easter. May God forgive him and help open his eyes to the implications long term.
    It also reminds me of the trial of Jesus, timed to be at night, by stealth and expedient, as this bill could have waited till after Easter and been debated at length and with care.
    Government promises were made earlier to examine the bill carefully, to take all precautions and to guard Australians against cyber theft and any further vulnerability. (We are one of the most targeted nations for cyber theft and an easy hit but it seems that has been forgotten)
    It’s another step towards centralised power and Government to disempower the individuals and to increase all methods of surveillance. China was the first to introduce it – and for reasons not yet divulged, we seem to be heading along the same path of a communist way of ruling the masses by copying the model of digital ID and currency.
    Sadly, what seems right, convenient and expedient to the rulers of the Federal Australia will cause much angst and lack of privacy and not in any way match the true needs of Australians. Nevertheless we still have people who still speak up and fight for the good of the country. May God give His favour to the politicians who stood against this and who tried to warn the Govt not to act in haste.

    • Kathy Gasper 28 March 2024 at 1:19 pm - Reply

      Well said Gail

  6. Britta Gronkjaer Christensen 28 March 2024 at 5:26 pm - Reply

    Digital Id will enable the government and unelected globalist corporations to have full control and implement social credit scores like in China. This includes denying people access to their own money. It is a scary future we are heading into and the only way to reverse this, is to exit globalist corporations altogether.

  7. Richard Jardine 28 March 2024 at 8:37 pm - Reply

    Another bill pushed through without adequate debate. How long before this might be mandated? Will we still be allowed to buy and sell if we don’t have the digital ID?
    Thank you to all the politicians that opposed the bill.

  8. Countess Antonia Maria Violetta Scrivanich 28 March 2024 at 11:14 pm - Reply

    This is the beginning of the end of our democracy. The Republic and a Change of Constitution will give the “coup de grace “to kill our democracy. The Pet Project of the Albanese government is to remain in power forever which is why they flood Australia with people from Third World countries where democracy and justice do not exist , and Christianity is a persecuted religion (women raped , houses and churches burnt down ). This Government’s long -term dream is an Australia modelled on Communist China and its Social Credit System . No surprise to me , but, but what shocks me is that Australians are still so gullible that they are now surprised and shocked by the passage of the Digital ID Card, but, what do you expect from a socialist government ? This is just the beginning of the dream of TOTAL control over us by Labor and its Big Business mates which includes the banks, etc. The ” carrot ” is Labor’s policy of a “Guaranteed Living Wage ” for every adult, regardless of whether they work or not , but, remember the old saying : “Beware of Greeks bringing gifts !” There is a catch, but, Australian idiots will think they are getting something for nothing. WRONG ! The long-term Plan
    ( promoted by the UN ) is to make everyone dependent on a guaranteed Hand-out from government, ie World Governance by Elites.To finance this “”Guaranteed Living Wage ” it is proposed to steal our private property , as if the Elites and politicians don’t profit enough already at our expense ! It is Communism in which the Party Members will live in a privileged world of extreme luxury , while the rest of us will exist on the crumbs and be punished, imprisoned or have our bank account raided if we protest ! I am eligible for a Part -Pension which I choose not to receive as this leaves my financial affairs my own business without government interference . It means if I had lots of money (which I do NOT have !) and wanted to gift a large sum of money to, eg a charity or to a family member , I would not be subject to any government restriction on the size of the gift , nor would I currently be punished . The Government Welfare System is intrusive and makes people dependent on the government, which then, in turn, exerts Power over people’s lives. I have no investments , only one home , the one I live in , but, I applaud hardworking people who own more than one as this is their Superannuation , their way of not being parasites. This Digital ID Card will in time take away all our Freedoms and Property as has already happened in Canada where truckies were punished by having money seized from their bank accounts by the Canadian government . We’re next ! If you still believe that Albanese has your best interests at heart , you must have a severe form of Dementia ! Face reality and take steps immediately to protect your Financial and other Human C Rights !

  9. Stef Mainey 30 March 2024 at 8:15 am - Reply

    Senator Malcolm Roberts has provided an update that it is not a ‘done deal’ yet, as the Lower House did not look at it yesterday. Let’s keep praying that the voice of everyday Australians will be heard!

  10. Ross Gardner 31 March 2024 at 1:24 pm - Reply

    Totalitarianism and Communism for all Australians

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