Senator LUNDY (1:13 PM) —The stated purpose of the Year 2000 Information Disclosure Bill 1999 is to encourage the voluntary disclosure and exchange of information about the year 2000 computer problems and remediation efforts by providing limited protection from civil liability for the year 2000 disclosure statements.

Its so-called Good Samaritan activity allows large organisations to provide smaller organisations with advice relating to Y2K, and this issue has been the source of some interest in the federal parliament over the last couple of years.

I would like to foreshadow an amendment that I will be moving in the Committee of the Whole that will require a process for parliamentary departments, Commonwealth departments and agencies to report back to the parliament for the purposes of improving public knowledge about progress to date with Y2K compliance.

The whole issue of the year 2000 bug relates to a programming flaw that was done many, many years ago that required the shortening up of dates contained in both embedded chips and computer applications. The manifestation of this problem extends now to when the date clicks over on the first of the first in the year 2000. There is grave concern, both throughout the community and business, that business operations, community services—indeed, very serious and essential services—could be affected adversely by this change. Hence the program for testing, remediation and preparing contingency plans is of very serious public interest and is on the minds of government, business and community organisations everywhere.

This legislation goes some way to addressing the ability of the community generally to talk about the issue and share information. The amendment that we are foreshadowing provides for the reporting of the progress to date of those testing, remediation and contingency plans to the Commonwealth parliament for the purposes of keeping the public informed about progress to date with Y2K compliance.

This amendment has been agreed to by the government after extensive negotiations and comes on the back of a high level of frustra tion about the quality of reporting to date by the Commonwealth government to the public. Indeed, the extent of public disclosure about progress on remediation and contingency planning to date comes in the form of just a three-page report that was released by cabinet about mid last year.

There is a need for extensive public awareness in relation to this problem. We heard just last night at an estimates committee that the government has finally, albeit belatedly, commissioned research in preparation for a public awareness campaign.

In order to help me keep my comments brief, I seek leave to table some documents provided to the opposition by the government in relation to their intentions with respect to Y2K reporting of Commonwealth agencies.

Leave granted.

Senator LUNDY —The other issue that needs to be traversed in the context of this debate is how the government can go about gaining the confidence as to their handling of Y2K of both the community and the corporate sector, at which this Good Samaritan style legislation is specifically aimed. I believe Labor's amendments will extend that confidence to a large degree to the community interests that will be addressed by allowing a far higher level of public scrutiny. The critical challenge that Y2K presents to the world over is something that must be addressed forthrightly and with leadership by governments.

There are several other reports that have significant impact on the way the Y2K problem is being addressed. One, in particular, in relation to Commonwealth progress to date was prepared by the Australia National Audit Office entitled `Getting over the line'. That report identified a series of recommendations aimed at assisting Commonwealth agencies to progress their reporting, testing and compliance in accordance with the guidelines provided for by the department.

The government has indicated that they will also be moving an amendment to extend the limited exemptions from civil liabilities to oral statements. I would like to indicate, at this point in time, that it is the opposition's intent to also support that amendment.