MUSLIM women who wear headscarves will have to make sure their face is fully visible when they have a photograph taken for the Government’s new access card.

The proposed system will replace the Medicare card and be compulsory for any Australian who wants to access up to 16 other government health and welfare services.

In its submission to a Senate inquiry examining the access card legislation, which is currently before parliament, the Government provided examples of a how a photograph would be taken of a person wearing a headscarf.

The instructions say the headscarf will have to be pushed back so that the forehead, cheeks and chin are clearly visible.

While some Muslim women wear the headscarf without any face covering, others wear it with a veil that leaves only their eyes exposed.

In its submission, the Government launched a strident defence against critics who are worried the access card may become a de facto national identity card.

“The access card will not be a national identity card,” the government said.

“The Bill expressly provides that one of the objects of the legislation is that access cards are not to be used as, and do not become, national identity cards.

“This is a strong statement of parliamentary intention that has been included to assure the public that not only is the access card not a national identity card, it is also not to become a national identity card.”

The Government says there are strict penalties for people and organisations which flout this aspect of the laws.

Penalties include up to five years’ jail for a person who asks someone to produce the access card as proof of identity.

The Government indicated there would be further privacy protections included in future legislation relating to the access card.
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Post Date: 2007-02-28 News Source
Author: http://www.news.com.au