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Wednesday, 23 May 2012
Page: 5336

Mr ALBANESE (Grayndler—Leader of the House and Minister for Infrastructure and Transport) (18:16): I present a supplementary explanatory memorandum to the bill and I move the government amendment as circulated:

(1) Schedule 1, item 3, page 4 (after line 3), after subsection 44(3B), insert:

(3C) If body scanning equipment is to be used for the screening of a person, the equipment must not store or transmit:

   (a) an image of the person that is produced by the equipment; or

   (b) personal information (within the meaning of the Privacy Act 1988) about the person.

Mr ALBANESE: In speaking to the legislation amendment that I have moved, I move this amendment in response to the matters that were raised by the Senate Scrutiny of Bills Committee. I am proposing an amendment to the Aviation Transport Security Amendment (Screening) Bill to include a provision requiring that any current or future body scanner used for aviation security screening at Australian airports not store or transmit any image or personal information about the person being screened. This was always the intention of the government. The Senate committee has asked that the bill be amended to include a very explicit provision in the legislation, and that is why this amendment has been moved.

The amendment will strengthen the privacy safeguards already contained in the bill and give the travelling public further assurance that their privacy is being protected, without affecting the security outcome that will be achieved through the introduction of body scanners. The amendment confirms the government's absolute commitment to ensuring that it achieves the right balance between privacy and security at our airports.

I commend this bill, as amended, to the House.