"To the Honourable President and members of the Senate in Parliament assembled:

The petition of the undersigned shows:

that there was no independent Privacy Impact Assessment on the Veterans’ Affairs Legislation Amendment (Digital Readiness and Other Measures) Bill 2016 before it passed in the House of Representatives.

As such there are serious issues surrounding veterans’ privacy protections of their records which warrant redress in the Senate during consideration of the bill. Until there is an independent privacy assessment the bill should be blocked, and not permitted to proceed on a vote.

The term “public interest” was modelled from social security law and as such there was no independent privacy assessment concerning protections that should be afforded to Australian Defence Force service personnel and veterans as it applies to their personnel and medical records – especially to those who have had protected identities.

This bill enables the secretary of veterans affairs to release veterans personal information to shut down criticism of DVA by individuals or Ex-service Organisations.

There have been past instances of defence personnel and their families being harassed through a hate mail campaign. For example, such as Man Haron Monis undertaking a campaign against Australian troops and widows.

A law which may allow a government official to release private records of a veteran, and if that private information got into the wrong hands, may see a repeat of what occurred with regard to Mr Monis' harassment.

http://www.dva.gov.au/sites/default/files/files/site-information/drbpi_execsumm.pdf

https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/C2016B00193

http://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2017-03-02/government-wants-new-power-to-release-veterans-personal-info/8320268?pfmredir=sm