The legislation was introduced into the Parliament in late November, before being referred to a committee that is due to report back in late February. Liberal Senator for South Australia Alex Antic has sounded a warning on Labor’s digital identity legislation, calling it “a very concerning piece of legislation” and urging Australian citizens to resist it before it is “too late.” This comes after Labor Minister for Finance and the Australian Public Service, Katy Gallagher claimed that digital ID was “not compulsory” but a voluntary way to access online services safely. The bill was introduced on Nov 30 and will be sent to a committee for inquiry to report back in February.
The government claims that the Digital ID Bill 2023 provides individuals with a “secure, convenient, voluntary, and inclusive” way to verify their identity for online transactions with government and business. Senator Antic urged Australians to sign a petition against the Bill, talk to friends, write a submission, and correspond with local Senators and MPs in federal parliament. He warned that digital identity will be permanent for all Australian citizens.
The proposed legislation provides the foundations for a “much wider” range of private sector and state government entities to use digital ID to verify customers. Ms. Gallagher stated that the digital ID was voluntary and that it was a convenient, safe way for individuals to access online services securely. However, Senator Antic warned Australians to be careful about these claims and to resist the legislation, likening it to past claims about vaccines. The government contends that anticipated economic benefits outweigh the cost of compliance, but Senator Antic expressed skepticism about the claims of benefit and the ultimately voluntary nature of the system.
Progressing the bill is anticipated to provide financial savings for the Commonwealth, by enabling increased use of digital ID to verify and authenticate people’s identity digitally for government services instead of more costly identity verification such as in-person or phone-based methods. The government also anticipates the bill will reduce identity fraud in government services, also providing revenue savings for the Commonwealth. Ms. Gallagher focused on the safety online and the legislation will ensure “strong independent oversight” will be in place to support the expansion of the digital ID system from mid-2024.