Auchinvole Chris: Electronic Identity Verification Bill Identity Information Confirmation Bill — Third Readings 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Auchinvole Chris: Electronic Identity Verification Bill Identity Information Confirmation Bill — Third Readings 
[Sitting date: 11 December 2012. Volume:686;Page:7389. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
CHRIS AUCHINVOLE (National) 
: 
 I rise to speak on the cognate bills the Electronic Identity Verification Bill and the Identity Information Confirmation Bill both of which are big steps forward in identity information management making life easier for consumers and for businesses. It is always a pleasure to follow the Hon Trevor Mallard in a debate and to try to work out how on earth something that was such a matter of agreement between the people at the Government Administration Committee has suddenly become a huge partisan issue although I think he did say that partisanship was subordinated to common sense. These bills are an exercise in common sense and in consideration of what is sensible. The Electronic Identity Verification Bill will regulate and enhance the operation of the igovt identity verification service including making it available to private sector agencies as well. 
I would like to acknowledge the initial efforts of the chair of the Government Administration Committee Ruth Dyson and the subsequent efforts of the select committee in her absence. We worked very well together and I think everybody brought something to this bill. Indeed I reflect Mr Mallard’s comment about Gareth Hughes certainly contributing with safeguards and concerns over verification processes. He was assiduous in follow-up work and we were all able to contribute. We all enjoyed it and when it came to penalties I think it was Eric Roy the Deputy Speaker who suggested that we should really lift the game rather than leave it where it was where people did not suffer too much as a consequence of stealing information. As the Hon Trevor Mallard said each of us had something to bring to the table. In my particular case I well remember being part of a bank verification group that sold its files to a commercial company in America which then contacted us about buying shares and that sort of thing. It showed complete disregard for the privacy of identification. This bill shows that this Government understands that it is time to expand the service to allow for a greater range of uses so that people the Government and businesses can realise the benefit that internet technologies offer. The Department of Internal Affairs is partnering with New Zealand Post to commercialise its service and to make it more widely available. 
We were—I think I speak for all the members of the select committee—particularly impressed by the work of the officials on this bill in that they would listen to our concerns they would go away and they would come back with a complete description of how our concerns could be met. 
The Identity Information Confirmation Bill creates a new service that enables approved agencies to check whether identity information—names dates of birth and that sort of thing—presented to them by customers is consistent with the records held by the Department of Internal Affairs. Again I was able to instance the fact that I had had my bank card stolen. The only thing— 
Chris Hipkins 
: Who would want it? 
CHRIS AUCHINVOLE 
: Well exactly. That is exactly what I thought—who on earth would want it? And when I was interviewed by the police I said to them: “Why would they want these cards? I have already cancelled them.” Mind you that was an experience in itself—phoning the bank to say “I wish to cancel my cards. They have been stolen.” only to have the bank say “What were the numbers?”. I did not know what the numbers were. I was standing in my gym gear. My trousers had been stolen and my wallet with them. Mind you my tailor later when I put in an insurance claim asked “Were you in the trousers at the time?”. I was not; they were nicked out of the gym. 
Hon Amy Adams 
: Too much information. 
CHRIS AUCHINVOLE 
: Too much information indeed. But the interesting thing was that those people used the cards as their identification in South Auckland to open accounts at department stores and they were accepted. The only thing that prevented me from being charged and prosecuted for the bills was the fact that they were a different age from my age. 
This new system that we are putting in will provide a safeguard against that. It will also help to ensure compliance with the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism Act 2009 which requires banks and other financial institutions to undertake more comprehensive “know your customer” checks. In an earlier age of course we all did know our own customers and that sort of thing but we live in different times now. 
The Data Validation Service will be available only to organisations that meet strict security privacy and integrity criteria. We have heard on this side of the House endless criticism of breaches in security. For goodness’ sake it is the exception that proves the rule. Things will occasionally go wrong. It is not the end of the world when there are breaches but what it does normally do is ensure that safeguards are put in place. 
These bills will enable New Zealanders to transact more easily online and will give businesses and Government agencies confidence against identity fraud. They will give individuals confidence against identity fraud. The identity services will be able to be used by all New Zealanders for a wide range of transactions offered by Government and private sector agencies. The culmination of all this will be that New Zealanders will be able to prove their identity quickly and securely when dealing with Government agencies and businesses. Thank you.