37/2010
24 June 2010
Cabinet Secretary, Senator Joe Ludwig, today released an exposure draft of the new Australian Privacy Principles, a cornerstone of the Australian Government’s privacy reforms.
The new principles have been referred to a Senate Committee which will consult on proposed reforms to the Privacy Act.
“The Australian Privacy Principles build on important Government initiatives which restore trust and integrity in the use of Australian Government information,” Senator Ludwig said.
“The new single set of principles will replace the two existing sets of principles governing dealings with personal information, streamlining and harmonising obligations and drawing on existing standards.”
“The Government outlined the new principles in October 2009 as part of its first stage response to the Australian Law Reform Commission’s report into Australia’s privacy laws.”
Further reforms to the Privacy Act will be released for public consultation in stages, including provisions relating to:
“Each stage will be referred to a Senate Committee for consideration as it is ready,” Senator Ludwig said.
“This way, we can build the blocks to reform with as much input and discussion with experts and stakeholders as possible. We have started by releasing the first and fundamental building block – the Privacy Principles.”
The exposure draft and a link to a companion guide is available below or online at: www.dpmc.gov.au.
| Media Contact: | Website: |
|---|---|
| Sarah McSporran — 0423 823 843 | www.cabinetsecretary.gov.au www.smos.gov.au |