The Commissioner is to examine any proposed legislation or any proposed policy of the government which may affect the privacy of the individual. The Commissioner reports to the Minister of Justice. These programmes involve the sharing of information for the purpose of assessing eligibility for a benefit or detecting whether an overpayment of a benefit has taken place. Mostly these programmes involve public sector agencies. Matching programmes authorised before the Privacy Act 1993 will be reviewed by the Commissioner in 1994.
Any new information matching programme requires special legislation before it can be set up.
Information matching programmes have to comply with strict guidelines. If the programme does not comply, a complaint can be made to the Commissioner. The Commissioner has the power to inquire generally into any matter, including any law, or any practice, or procedure in the private or public sector, or any technical development if it appears to him that the privacy of the individual is being or is likely to be infringed. The Act does not change any of the existing statutory authorities for public registers. In the case of a breach of the PRPPs, the Privacy Commissioner can make recommendations to the relevant Minister or to the chief administrative officer of the agency concerned.