Smartcard not an ID card

Cartoon by Ron Tanberg for The Age

Terrific that the Australian Financial Review is at last providing access to some free content.

As a result we can tell you that the Federal Government is on the job looking at ways to tackle welfare fraud, and has left room for smartcard technology. But Human Services Minister Joe Ludwig has made it clear that the former government's access/ID card is off the agenda: "We are not considering reviving the Liberal's billion dollar access card".

Julian Bajkowski provides a good summary of the state of play.