CANBERRA, Australia, Feb. 6 (UPI) -- The Australian government's intention to introduce a new smartcard for access to government services has come under fire from three prominent legislators.
The three MPs, all members of the ruling Coalition, complained at a meeting in Canberra Tuesday the 16.7 million cards to be issued by 2010 could become a national identity card or could be used to compromise privacy rights, The Australian reported in its Wednesday edition.
The objections by Bronwyn Bishop, Chris Pyne and Steve Clobo, could revive earlier debates over privacy and the potential abuses of multiple-information identity cards.
The government of Prime Minister John Howard plans to introduce legislation Wednesday for the cards, which would contain a biometric photograph and a microchip with personal data. The cards would replace the current Medicare Card and as many as 16 other government issued cards giving access to various government services.
Howard argues the card would help curb identity fraud.
