EXPLANATORY STATEMENT
Australian Citizenship Act 2007
CLASSES OF PERSONS AUTHORISED TO ACCESS IDENTIFYING INFORMATION
(SUBSECTION 42(3))
- This Instrument is made under subsection 42(3) of the Australian Citizenship Act 2007 (‘the Act’).
2. Subsection 42(3) of the Act provides that the Minister may, by writing, authorise a specified person, or any person included in a specified class of persons, to access identifying information of the kind specified in the authorisation. Section 3 of the Act defines identifying information.
3. Subsection 42(4) of the Act provides the purposes that the Minister must specify in an authorisation under subsection 42(3) as the purpose or purposes for which access is authorised.
4. The purpose of the Instrument is to authorise all ICSE users (all authorised users of the Department of Immigration and Citizenship Integrated Client Services Environment (ICSE) system) to access identifying information necessary for the purposes of the Act.
5. The Instrument operates to authorise each person specified in a class (ICSE users) to access any kind of identifying information for any one or more of the following purposes: assisting in the identification of, or to authenticate the identity of an applicant for Australian citizenship; combating document and identity fraud in citizenship matters; disclosing identifying information in accordance with the Act; administering or managing the storage of identifying information; making identifying information available to the applicant to whom it relates; modifying identifying information to enable it to be matched with other identifying information; modifying identifying information for correction of errors or ensure compliance with appropriate standards; complying with Australian laws; and for purposes of the Act or the Migration Act 1958 or the regulations made under those Acts.
6. Pursuant to section 18 of the Legislative Instruments Act 2003 consultation was not necessary. The Instrument is of a minor or machinery nature. This is a new authorisation intended to allow officers to legally perform their functions and duties. There were no similar provisions in relation to Personal Identifiers under the Australian Citizenship Act 1948.
7. The Instrument, IMMI 07/045, commences on 1 July 2007.