THE Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters has extended the submission deadline for its inquiries into matters relating to Section 44 of the Constitution and on the Electoral Legislation Amendment (Electoral Funding and Disclosure Reform) Bill 2017.
The submission deadline for both inquiries is now March 9, 2018.
Information on the inquiries is available at https://www.aph.gov.au/em.
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THE Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman (ASBFEO) has welcomed the passing of legislation to establish the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA) last week..
Ombudsman Kate Carnell said she is particularly pleased with the more flexible definition of a small business as fewer than 100 employees and a rise in the compensation cap for agricultural small business of up to $2 million.
“And is good to see that a small business will be able to seek resolution of a dispute where the credit facility is up to $5 million and potentially receive compensation of up to $1 million,” Ms Carnell said.
“Small businesses do not have the time or the money to hire lawyers and challenge banks and other financial institutions through the court system.
“This will significantly improve small businesses access to justice, which we raised in our Small Business Loans Inquiry last year.
“The AFCA one-stop-shop will be free, fast and binding, and will provide the forum where the needs of small business are understood, which we hope will significantly reduce the need for litigation.
“We look forward to when AFCA will open its doors later this year.”
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THE Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) has released new resources for the Australian public ahead of the commencement of the Notifiable Data Breaches (NDB) scheme on February 22, 2018.
The NDB scheme mandates that Australian Government agencies and the various organisations with obligations to secure personal information under the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) (Privacy Act) notify individuals affected by data breaches that are likely to result in serious harm.
One of the new resources published by the OAIC, titled Receiving data breach notifications, provides useful guidance on what to expect when you receive a data breach notification, including how organisations might deliver notifications and when a privacy complaint can be made to the OAIC.
The other new resource, What to do after a data breach notification, provides a wide range of actions you can take to reduce the risk of experiencing harm after a data breach.
Among the information provided are tips on combatting the harm that may result from a breach involving financial information or contact information and steps to take when you believe you may be a victim of identity fraud.
The OAIC has worked with consumer groups, not-for-profits, and Australian Government agencies in the development of these resources.
The Australian Information Commissioner, Timothy Pilgrim, said, “The Notifiable Data Breaches scheme formalises a long-standing community expectation to be told when a data breach that is likely to cause serious harm occurs.
“The practical benefit of the scheme is that it gives individuals the chance to reduce their risk of harm, such as by re-securing compromised online accounts. The scheme also has a broader beneficial impact — it reinforces organisations’ accountability for personal information protection and encourages a higher standard of personal information security across the public and private sectors.
“By reinforcing accountability for personal information protection, the NDB scheme supports greater consumer and community trust in data management. This trust is key to realising the potential of data to benefit the community, for example, by informing better policy-making and the development of products and services.”
The 2017 Australian Community Attitudes to Privacy Survey found that 94 percent of Australians believe they should be told if a business loses their personal information; 95 percent said they should be told if a government agency loses their personal information.
Organisations are required to notify the Australian Information Commissioner in addition to notifying individuals affected by an ‘eligible data breach’ (a data breach that is likely to result in serious harm). Failures to comply with the NDB scheme can attract fines up to $2.1 million.
The OAIC's new resources for the Australian public can be read online: www.oaic.gov.au/individuals/data-breach-guidance.
The OAIC has published a suite of guidance for organisations to assist them in implementing the requirements of the NDB scheme. This guidance can be found at: www.oaic.gov.au/ndb.
Previous statements from the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner
Mandatory data breach notification: https://www.oaic.gov.au/media-and-speeches/statements/mandatory-data-breach-notification
Enforcement powers of the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner
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THE Treaties Committee tabled two reports last week dealing with a range of issues.
The first report reviews three treaties including an agreement with Singapore that will make sure the Singapore Air Force’s Flying Training Institute can continue to operate out of the RAAF Base at Pearce in Western Australia.
Also dealing with defence matters, a new agreement between the Solomon Islands and Australia will replace the RAMSI treaty. The Australian Defence Force and Australian Federal Police will be able to respond rapidly and effectively to any requests from the Solomon Islands for help in the event of a major security or humanitarian emergency.
Committee Chair, Stuart Robert MP, said that Australia’s leadership of the RAMSI operation had provided invaluable assistance to the Solomon Islands for fourteen years.
“RAMSI concluded in 2017. It was very successful but the Solomon Islands still face development challenges. This agreement will allow Australia to provide ongoing support to help the country to build long-term stability,” Mr Robert said.
Under a series of treaties, Australia has provided vital support to America’s space program since the 1960s and a new agreement consolidates the existing arrangements. Ongoing collaboration between the CSIRO and NASA will be able to continue for another 25 years.
A second report deals exclusively with Australia’s relationship with Jordan, strengthening both countries’ ability to combat transnational crime and terrorism. An extradition treaty provides for the exchange of suspected criminals between the two countries while mutual legal assistance will improve the sharing of evidence for criminal investigations.
“These two agreements will improve Australia’s capacity to prevent criminals and terrorists from evading capture by living or hiding evidence in another country,” Mr Robert said.
The two reports are available from the Committee’s website:
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DATA and analytics are transforming the global economy and the public and private sectors in Australia need to have a greater focus on the workforce, security and ethical implications, according to CEDA’s 2018 Economic and Political Overview (EPO) publication being released today.
This year’s economic and political outlook highlights that the Australian economy is looking up, and focuses on the opportunities and challenges presented by the rapid changes in information availability, from how we source news to how we manage and utilise data.
CEDA Chief Executive, Melinda Cilento said the explosion of data will continue to disrupt industries and transform economies and communities, and Australia needs to be on the front foot in managing that change and the opportunities flowing from it.
“As highlighted in our report, McKinsey & Company estimates that the benefits of rapid advances in data and analytics could add $220 billion to the Australian economy,” Ms Cilento said.
“This will come from business being able to operate more efficiently with real time monitoring and control to improved forecasting and should provide flow on benefits for consumers from improved convenience, quality and lower prices.
Many of the biggest companies to emerge in the last 20 years have business models underpinned by data and analytics and a significant amount of economic power is shifting to these companies.”
However, Ms Cilento said the changes occurring could significantly disrupt existing businesses and raised broader issues for government and business to consider, from how data is managed, the use of personal data, and ethical issues around artificial intelligence.
“Data growth and the use of analytics has the potential to deliver significant benefits to the economy, business and individuals, but as a nation we need to be discussing now the implications of these trends, if we are to capture the most significant opportunities,” she said.
Ms Cilento said the EPO report also examines whether four-year Federal Parliamentary terms deliver better policy outcomes.
“Australia is an outlier compared to many nations with a relatively short three-year term, but the report suggests that when compared to similar nations, such as Canada, longer terms may not result in better policy outcomes or greater satisfaction with democracy,” she said.
Ms Cilento said the report also examines the changes in news sources and the issues arising from the digital news age where it is easier for inaccurate news to spread.
On the economic front, Ms Cilento said the outlook was positive, although global flashpoints exist such as negotiations around Brexit, still high debt levels, and an Italian election that could trigger debate about another EU exit.
On the political front, Ms Cilento said that given the volatility of recent years, it was unlikely there would be any new major policies this year.
The CEDA 2018 EPO contributing authors are:
The EPO is being launched in Brisbane and Canberra today. Speakers in Brisbane include: Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Chief Economist and Managing Director, Economics, Michael Blythe; Federal Shadow Minister for Finance, Dr Jim Chalmers; Lateral Economics Founder and CEO, Dr Nicholas Gruen; and McKinsey & Company, Partner, Dr Tim Fountaine.
Speakers in Canberra include: Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research Professorial Fellow, Dr Gary Banks AO; Council of the Ageing and Vault Systems Chair; and Non-Executive Director ANZ Banking Group and Clayton Utz, Jane Halton AO PSM; ANU Crawford School of Public Policy Honorary Professorial Fellow, Professor John Hewson AM; and Westpac, Director and Senior Economist, Elliot Clarke.
A free live stream of the Brisbane event, starting at 10.10am (AEST), can be accessed at www.ceda.com.au. The launch event will be followed by a series of events being held in Hobart, Adelaide, Melbourne, Townsville, Perth, Darwin and Sydney in February and March.
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