Bill Shorten (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Parliamentary Secretary for Disabilities and Children's Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That this bill be now read a second time.

The Social Security Legislation Amendment (Digital Television Switch-over) Bill 2009 makes amendments to the Social Security (Administration) Act 1999.

The government has announced that all free-to-air television broadcasters in Australia will complete the switch from analog transmission to digital-only transmission by the end of 2013.

For viewers, this will require a number of changes to the way in which television broadcasts are received, including obtaining new equipment to receive digital signals.

Switching to digital television will be a straightforward and inexpensive task for the vast majority of Australians. However, some viewers may need practical, in-home assistance to make the switch to digital. To ensure these Australians are not disadvantaged by the switch-over, the government will implement an assistance program in regions switching from analog to digital transmission between 1 January 2010 and 31 December 2011. These regions are the television licence areas of Mildura/Sunraysia, regional Victoria, regional South Australia and regional Queensland. Lessons learned from switching over these regions will inform the broader switch-over of the rest of Australia.

The amendments in this bill are necessary to enable the implementation of the Digital Switch-over Household Assistance Program to households in regions switching from analog to digital transmission between 1 January 2010 and 31 December 2011. A household will qualify for the assistance program where one or more residents are in receipt of the maximum rate of any of the following payments: age pension; disability support pension; carer payment; or Department of Veterans’ Affairs service pension or income support supplement.

To determine qualification for the Digital Switch-over Household Assistance Program, Centrelink needs legislative authority to be able to use protected information it holds regarding recipients of age pension, disability support pension and carer payment. In addition, Centrelink needs to be able to provide the information about qualified Centrelink customers to the contractors engaged to supply the Digital Switch-over Household Assistance Program. A similar amendment for veterans to participate in the program is not required.

The amendments will authorise a person to obtain, make a record of, disclose and use protected information under the Social Security (Administration) Act for the purposes of the Digital Switch-over Household Assistance Program.

The amendments will ensure that Centrelink and the Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy do not breach the confidentiality provisions of the social security law. They will allow Centrelink to use information currently within their systems to advise customers of their qualification for, and to invite them to participate in, the Digital Switch-over Household Assistance Program.

Information disclosed to contractors and the Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy will be limited to that strictly necessary for the implementation of the Digital Television Switch-over Household Assistance Program. Contractors will not receive specific information about the customers’ age, payment type, disability or marital status.

The Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy will also put in place appropriate privacy safeguards with contractors to ensure that Centrelink customers’ personal information is treated appropriately.

Debate (on motion by Mr Lindsay) adjourned.