Government Administration [11 APR., 1973] Questions without Notice 4813 on the departure from the State on lOth mrgtslattur As.a.rmhly April, 1973, of the Governor of New South Wednesday, 11 April, 1973 Wales, Sir Arthur Roden Cutler, on an official visit to the United Kingdom, he had assumed the administration of the Govern­ ment of New South Wales on 11th April, Administration of the Government-Questions without Notice-Education Commission (Urgency)-Dairy 1973. Industry (Amendment) Bill (third reading)­ Representative on Council of University of New England-Audit (Amendment) Bill (second reading) -Police Regulation (Superannuation and Appeals) ASSENT TO BILLS Amendment Bill (second reading)-Public Service (Amendment) Bill (second reading)-Aborigines Royal assent to the following bills (Amendment) Bill (second reading)-Housing and Public Works (Amendment) Bill (second reading) reported: -N.S.W. Retirement Benefits (Amendment) Bill (second reading)-Oatb of Allegiance-Municip­ District Court Bill ality of Hurstville (Wolli Creek, Kingsgrove, Evidence and Oaths (Amendment) Bill Public Reserve Land Sale) Bill (second reading)­ Private Irrigation Districts and Water (Amend­ Justices (Amendmenrt) Bill ment) Bill (Com.)-Printing and Newspapers Bill (Com.)-Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Amend­ Main Roads (Amendment) Bill ment) Bill (Com.)-Retirement of F. A. Mahony, Valuation of Land (Amendment) Bill Serjeant-at-Arms-Printing Committee (Nineteenth Report)-Special Adjournment-Adjournment Venereal Diseases (Amendment) Bill (Apprentice Bricklayers)-Printed Questions and Answers. QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE Mr SPEAKER (THE HoN. SIR KEVIN MINERAL SECURITIES AUSTRALIA ELLIS) took the chair at 2.30 p.m. LIMITED Mr SPEAKER offered the Prayer. Mr HILLS: I desire to ask the Attorney­ General a question without notice. Is it a fact that the Attorney-General appointed ADMINISTRATION OF THE investigators to inquire into the financial GOVERNMENT affairs of Mineral Securities Australia Lim­ Mr SPEAKER reported the following mes­ ited, the failure of which caused consequen­ sage from His Excellency the Lieutenant­ tial disaster to many thousands of share­ Governor: holders? Is it a fact that on 3rd January L. J. HERRON, last the official liquidator said that Australia Lieutenant-Governor. had not erased the stigma of the Minsec The Hon. Sir Leslie Herron, Lieutenant­ crash? Is the Attorney-General in a posi­ Governor of the State of New South Wales, tion to indicate to the House the present has the honour to inform the Legislative As­ position of the inquiries being held by the sembly that, consequent on the departure officers of the department under his juris­ from the State on lOth April, 1973, of the Governor of New South Wales, Sir Roden diction? Will he examine closely, and in­ Cutler, on an official visit to the United King­ form the House about, the actions of the dom, he this morning took the Oath of directors in the company related to this Allegiance and the Official and Judicial Oath serious crash, their related activities before the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of New South Wales, and assumed the ad­ with stockbrokers and the fact that they ministration of the Government of the State. appear to have survived the crisis without Government House, loss? I should appreciate it if the Attorney­ Sydney, 11th April, 1973. General would supply that information to the House, particularly for the benefit of Motion (by Sir Charles Cutler on behalf the shareholders who lost many millions of of Sir Robert Askin) agreed to: dollars. That the following resolution in acknowledg­ ment of His Excellency's Message be adopted Mr McCAW: The answer to the first by this House, and transmitted to · the Lieutenant-Governor: part of the question asked by the Leader That this House desires to express its of the Opposition is, yes. Inspectors were thanks to His Excellency the Lieutenant­ appointed-Mr Rath, Q.C., and two others, Governor for his Message of 11th April, 1973, informing Members that, consequent a Sydney accountant and a member of the 4814 Questions without Notice [ASSEMBLY] Questions without Notice appropriate section of the staff of the Com­ missioned by the Government of New missioner for Corporate Affairs. For some South Wales at the request of the standing time those inspectors have been engaged committee of Attorneys-General. in what is a lengthy exercise. The inspectors saw me about three weeks ago and I under­ Last week at the meeting in Sydney of stand that they expect to be in a position the Standing Committee of Attorneys­ to hand their report to me, as they are General it was agreed that the report would required to do under the law when it is be tabled within the next week or so in all completed, about the middle of this month. State Parliaments •and in the national Par­ When I receive the report I shall be guided liament. The standing committee decided by those considerations I adverted to in an that as there was some virtue in trying to answer I gave to the Leader of the Opposi­ establish a national policy on privacy, tion yesterday, as in all these matters. officers of the various departments con­ Whether I should table it will depend on cerned should consider the report and make whether proceedings are to take place and recommendations to the next meeting of the whether prejudice to individuals or to the committee, which is to be held in Perth in Crown or to the public interest might be July. As honourable members will appre­ involved in tabling it. If court proceed­ ciate, the report is an important one. We ings are to follow a report, ever since I all have a desire to maintain many of our assumed this office it has been my prac­ private affairs to ourselves and we wish to tice not to table it until later. Then I ensure that we protect the rights of the would look at the question of tabling the individual. I remind the House that in this report in the light of whether the public country there is no absolute right to privacy hearing of the court proceedings had dis­ that is enforceable by action in the courts. closed all the information contained in the I am afraid that it is commonly misunder­ report. When those requirements have been stood at large that there is such a special met the tabling of the report is only a right. matter of form. I am concerned, as is every Professor Morison in his report, which I honourable member and the Leader of the believe will find favour with honourable Opposition, that the public should be in­ members on both sides of the House, deals formed as quickly as possible having regard extensively wJth the extraordinary problems to the principles I have mentioned. I shall that exist in trying to create a specific right have regard to the matters referred to by to privacy. However, the professor sug­ the Leader of the Opposition in his ques­ gests that in New South Wales, as in other tion as soon as the report comes to me. States, there should be a committee backed I cannot examine it until it is in my hands. by statute to deal with complaints by citi­ zens about breaches of their privacy. The PRIVACY committee would be seen also as the body that would. formulate guidelines for the Mr COLEMAN: My question is directed implementation of statutory safeguards in to the Minister of Justice. Will the Minister various areas. advise the House what steps he proposes to take on the recommendations made by A survey of the report indicates that Professor Morison in his report on privacy Professor Morison recommends that sub­ which the Minister tabled last week? In committees ought to be set up, such as a his answer will the Minister in particular medical subcommittee to consider the privacy of medical records, a credit sub­ refer to any steps he proposes to take in committee to look at the privacy which relation to the activities of credit bureaux? shall attach to credit records and to credit Mr MADDISON: Honourable members bureaux as mentioned in the question of the honourable member for Fuller, a subcom­ know that last week I tabled in this House mittee on data banks ,and another on the a report on privacy which was prepared by public media. These recommendations in­ Professor Morison of the law school of the dicate the all-embracing nature of the re­ University of Sydney. The report was com- port, which is certainly unique in world Questions without Notice [11 APR., 1973] Questions without Notice 4815 terms in suggesting that a committee should Mr EINFELD: Is nearly all the business be esta:blished not so much to safeguard of insurance written on mortgages given by but to examine and vet claims that an in­ these particular permanent building societies dividual's privacy has been breached and to done by Mortgage Guaranty Insurance Cor­ make recommendations how this can be poration of Australia? Will the Premier prevented and an individual's privacy safe­ take legislative action to prohibit directors guarded in the future. of permanent building societies from holding directorships in mortgage insurance com­ I am paying particular attention to what panies? the professor has had to say in his report, especially on the question of credit bureaux Sir ROBERT ASKIN: I should think that ~a matter with which the honourruble mem­ the Deputy Leader of the Opposition would ber for Fuller has been substantially con­ know that I could not be expected to be cerned over quite a long period. It is in­ aware which people hold particular jobs in teresting to note that one of the subcom­ the business world of this State.