Macindoe Tim: Privacy (Information Sharing) Bill — First Reading 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Macindoe Tim: Privacy (Information Sharing) Bill — First Reading 
[Sitting date: 08 February 2012. Volume:677;Page:231. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
TIM MACINDOE (National—Hamilton West) 
: 
 Just before I begin may I as Louise Upston did acknowledge briefly the contributions of the new members who made their maiden statements this afternoon. It is always quite a challenge for them but it is interesting for other members to hear a little bit about them and I thought they acquitted themselves very well. So congratulations and best wishes to them.  
The chair of the Regulations Review Committee Charles Chauvel has just acknowledged that I am actually standing in this House for the first time in my new capacity as chairman of the Justice and Electoral Committee. [ 
Interruption 
] I was not meaning to milk the applause but thank you very much. You take it when you can get it I guess. I am certainly very proud and delighted to have been accorded that honour and I particularly welcome the introduction of the Privacy (Information Sharing) Bill because as the member who has just resumed his seat has indicated it is the product of 5 years of very detailed work and as he mentioned it includes some very sweeping proposals for reform. I think members will have enjoyed hearing the historical overview that Mr Chauvel has just given us. I also welcome the fact that the Labour Party at least has indicated it will support the bill notwithstanding some concerns that Mr Chauvel has outlined. I have no doubt that the select committee will take time to consider those concerns as they are promoted to us.  
Nevertheless there is no doubt that this is a very important measure so I am very pleased to support our new Minister of Justice in welcoming the introduction of the bill to the House. As she has indicted it is her intention to refer it to the Justice and Electoral Committee at the end of the first reading. The bill works in very well with a major election plank that National campaigned on and that was clearly endorsed by the electorate which is our commitment to delivering high-quality modern public services for all New Zealanders. That is a vitally important aspect of what the country is seeking as we work our way through the current recession and as we try to ensure that people have opportunities and that we move with the times particularly given that in this particular bill we are balancing very important factors: people’s right to privacy—is it “pri-vacy” or “pry-vacy”? I never really know how to say that word. My father always said “pry-vacy” and my mother always said “pri-vacy”. They argued about it. My father is now dead but my mother is still alive. I am tempted to go with mum in case she is listening but whatever it is—[ 
Interruption 
] Father is right—and mother is. There is a need to balance that important principle—[ 
Interruption 
] thank you; the Minister of Corrections has given me an honourable way out—with our need to protect vulnerable New Zealanders.  
This type of measure as I think Mr Chauvel has alluded to can worry people. They begin to think: “Gee this is the State bearing down on my private life my right to operate without the scrutiny of the State.” Therefore it is important I think to state at the outset what the purpose of the bill is. This information-sharing bill aims to improve rules around the collection storage and use of personal information while making sure that there are safeguards to protect an individual’s right to privacy—as Mr Simpson is telling me I should say. In these days of rapidly evolving technology and social media we do need to reform the current information-sharing regime. It has become significantly out of date and with each passing year it seems to become more so. In fact it sometimes baffles me how we can expect our laws to keep up with such rapid change in the technological field. That was clearly the strong recommendation of the Law Commission in its very detailed work as it reviewed the Privacy Act in regard to information sharing.  
Information sharing without doubt has major benefits in allowing agencies to see all sides of an individual’s case rather than just through their own narrow lens. Sometimes when we are dealing with really tricky social problems we need to ensure that those different agencies can share information to ensure they deliver the best service the best support to people who are in need of it. By sharing personal information agencies can work together to examine and understand the needs of a customer or client as a whole instead of each agency viewing them through its own narrow lens. Though agencies are already able to share a great deal of personal information under the existing Act the Act itself is unclear and misunderstood around when and how personal information can be shared.  
The other important thing is that the bill has some significant cost-saving benefits and as we streamline our public service delivery that is very important.  
I think there are a whole lot of measures in this bill that we welcome. I acknowledge the fact that there will be some significant submissions to be considered at the select committee. I look forward to getting on with that work and I commend this bill to the House.