Opposition parties and privacy groups are warning that Australians may still be forced to carry the government's controversial Access Card should the Liberal Party win the upcoming federal election.
The Department of Human Services has denied the Federal Labor government is investigating the introduction of a nationwide ID card scheme similar to the previous government's Access Card.
Government officials have left open the possibility the incoming health and social services access card might one day be used for a range of applications and identity checks following an industry briefing on Wednesday.
The federal government confirmed work was underway on a proposal to deploy smartcards to millions of Australians under a project to slash administrative costs and crack down on identity theft.
Tender negotiations for the AU$1.09 billion Access Card will continue despite the government being forced to review the card's legislation following a Senate Committee report.
Can a national ID card protect Australians against terrorist attacks? And can citizens' details be protected by Public Key Infrastructure? We look at the types of hardware and software employed to combat terrorism, and how ports and other critical infrastructure are protected.
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