- Government says new legislation will secure
Western Australians' personal information
- Appointment of Information Commissioner, Privacy
Deputy Commissioner and continuation of the Freedom of Information Commissioner
as Information Access Deputy Commissioner to safeguard privacy of individuals
- Introduction of breach scheme to ensure
public is kept informed of any incidents
The Cook Government
has passed new laws to ensure the strong protection and safe handling of Western
Australians' personal information held by Government.
The Privacy
and Responsible Information Sharing Bill 2024 (PRIS Bill) will modernise and
strengthen privacy protections for Western Australians. It will also enable the
safe and secure sharing of information across Government and with trusted
external entities.
The PRIS
Bill introduces new privacy principles to guide WA's public sector agencies on
approved systems and processes to handle personal information.
The
legislation provides assurance to Western Australians that the Cook Government
is managing their personal information responsibly and securely.
This PRIS
Bill includes a scheme for mandatory reporting of "notifiable information
breaches" to the Information Commissioner and affected individuals to ensure
Western Australians are kept well informed of any serious breaches involving
their personal information.
In
addition, the Cook Government has passed the Information Commissioner Bill 2024
(IC Bill), which establishes and makes provision for the offices of Information
Commissioner, Information Access Deputy Commissioner and Privacy Deputy
Commissioner. The new Information Commissioner and Privacy Deputy Commissioner will
be equipped with robust powers to consider and resolve privacy complaints.
A Chief
Data Officer will be established to lead and develop public sector capability
for responsible information sharing. The Chief Data
Officer will promote a culture of transparency, accountability and safe use of Government
information.
For more
information about the Bill, visit wa.gov.au/government/privacy-and-responsible-information-sharing
Comments attributed to Attorney General John Quigley:
"Introducing
strong and modern privacy protections for individuals is more important today
than ever before.
"Western
Australians should be able to say that their State Government values and
respects their privacy as much as they do.
"These
reforms will provide assurance to Western Australians that the Government is
managing their personal information responsibly and securely by adopting
time-tested privacy principles from privacy laws around Australia."
Comments attributed to Innovation and the Digital Economy Minister
Stephen Dawson:
"These new
laws are an important legislative step to ensure Western Australians' personal
information is protected.
"As the
primary custodians of key data sets which has been provided by the community,
it's our responsibility to ensure they are used to make better decisions,
deliver seamless public services and drive innovation for public benefit.
"The
successful passing of the Privacy and Responsible Information Sharing
legislation is a major win by the Cook Government in building WA's digital
future in a safe and responsible manner with a framework of accountability."
