The Commissioner has a responsibility under s.13 (1)(f) of the Privacy Act to examine proposed legislation that may involve information matching. She makes recommendations about other changes to the information matching provisions or to the rules in Schedule 4.
The Commissioner also periodically reviews operating programmes to assess their continuing justification for existence, as required under s.106 of the Privacy Act.
The Commissioner reports on information matching proposals and on the operation of information matches.
Reviews of proposed information matches
Reports of general inquiries into information matches
Annual reports on operating matches
Periodic reviews of operating matches
Recommendations for changes to information matching
REVIEWS OF PROPOSED INFORMATION MATCHES
These are reports made under section 13(1)(f) of the Privacy Act 1993.
1. Accident Insurance Bill 1998
Report by the Privacy Commissioner to the Minister of Justice on an examination of clause 327 of the Accident Insurance Bill to establish an information matching programme to identify uninsured employers : 23 November 1998.
[A match between the Inland Revenue Department and the Accident Insurers Regulator operated from 1999/2000 to 2001/2002].
2. Courts and Criminal Matters Bill 2003
Report by the Privacy Commissioner to the Minister of Justice in relation to the Courts and Criminal Matters Bill : 3 November 2003.
See also: Customs/Justice Fines Defaulters
See also: IR/Justice Fines Defaulters Tracing
3. Education Amendment Bill (no. 2) 2010
Proposed information match between the Ministry of Education and the Teachers Council : 21 August 2009.
See also: MoE/Teachers Council Registration
4. Electoral (Administration) Amendment Bill (no. 2) 2010
Final Government response to the Justice and Electoral Committee inquiry into the 2008 General Election : 21 June 2010.
[Proposed information match between DIA (Passports) and the Electoral Enrolment Centre].
5. Electoral (Disqualification of Convicted Prisoners) Amendment Bill 2010
Submission by the Privacy Commissioner to the Law and Order Select Committee : 11 June 2010.
[Amendment of elector qualification criteria. The information transfer is handled as an information sharing arrangement rather than as an authorised information match and as such is not reported upon by OPC].
6. Electoral Reform Bill 1995
Report by the Privacy Commissioner to the Minister of Justice in relation to a proposed information matching programme contained in the Electoral Reform Bill : 3 October 1995.
See also: INZ/EEC Unqualified Voters
7. Housing Restructuring and Tenancy Matters (Information Matching) Amendment Bill 2006
Report by the Privacy Commissioner to the Social Services Committee in relation to an information matching programme proposed to be authorised by new section 68 of the Housing Restructuring and Tenancy Matters Act 1992 : 28 April 2006.
See also: HNZ/MSD Benefit Eligibility
8. Monetary Penalties Enforcement Bill 1997
Report by the Privacy Commissioner to the Minister of Justice on an examination of a proposal to amend section 126A of the Society Security Act 1964 : 19 August 1997.
[Allowing the Department of Social Welfare to disclose beneficiaries' telephone numbers to the Department for Courts].
See also: MSD/Justice Fines Defaulters Tracing
9. Social Security Amendment Act 1996 [initially in: Tax Reduction and Social Policy Bill 1996]
Report by the Privacy Commissioner to the Minister of Justice on the proposed information matching provision contained in clause 116 of the Tax Reduction and Social Policy Bill (The NZES/NZISS Match) : 28 April 1996.
(NZES = NZ Employment Service (Department of Labour); NZISS = NZ Income Support Service (Ministry of Social Development)).
[The NZES/MSD Eligibility Match operated from 1 April 1997 until repealed on 1 October 1998 by section 11 of the Employment Services and Income Support (Integrated Administration) Act 1998 (1998 No. 96)].
10. Social Security Amendment Bill 1997
Report by the Privacy Commissioner to the Minister of Justice on the Social Security Amendment Bill concerning the information match between the Departments of Social Welfare and Labour pursuant to section 131A of the Social Security Act 1964 : 29 April 1997.
[The NZES/MSD Eligibility Match operated from 1 April 1997 until repealed on 1 October 1998 by section 11 of the Employment Services and Income Support (Integrated Administration) Act 1998 (1998 No. 96)].
11. Social Security Amendment Act (no 4) 1996
Report by the Privacy Commissioner to the Minister of Justice on a proposed information matching programme between the Department for Courts and the Department of Social Welfare on an examination of section 126A of the Social Security Act : 30 July 1996.
See also: MSD/Justice Fines Defaulters Tracing
12. Social Welfare (Transitional Provisions) Amendment Bill 2000
Report by the Privacy Commissioner to the Minister of Justice on Mutual assistance in social security: international exchange of personal information in relation to the Social Welfare (Transitional Provisions) Amendment Bill : 11 April 2000.
See specific country agreements: Netherlands Australia Croatia
13. Social Welfare (Transitional Provisions) Act 1990
a. Exchange of social security information with the Netherlands
Report by the Privacy Commissioner to the Ministers of Justice and Social Development & Employment pursuant to section 19(2A) of the Social Welfare (Transitional Provisions) Act 1990 in relation to mutual assistance provisions in the revised reciprocity agreement on social security between New Zealand and the Netherlands : 3 July 2003.
See also: Netherlands/MSD Change in Circumstances
See also: Netherlands/MSD Debt Recovery
See also: Netherlands/MSD General Adjustment
See also: IR/MSD (Netherlands) Tax Information
b. Revised New Zealand-Australia Society Security Agreement
Report by the Privacy Commissioner to the Ministers of Justice and Social Services pursuant to section 19(2A) of the Social Welfare (Transitional Provisions) Act 1990 in relation to the mutual assistance provisions in the revised reciprocity agreement on social security between New Zealand and Australia : 18 April 2002.
See also: Centrelink/MSD Change in Circumstances
See also: Centrelink/MSD Periods of Residence
c. Proposed information exchange between Croatia and the Ministry of Social Development : 30 March 2011
[Proposed information match - not yet operational].
14. Student Loan Scheme Amendment Bill (no 2) 2006
Report by the Privacy Commissioner to the Minister of Justice in relation to an information matching programme proposed to be authorised by new section 280H of the Customs and Excise Act 1996 and new section 62A of the Student Loan Scheme Act 1992 : 28 February 2007.
See also: Customs/IR Student Loan Interest
15. Tax Reduction and Social Policy Bill 1996
Report by the Privacy Commissioner to the Minister of Justice in relation to the proposed information matching provision contained in clause 71 of the Tax Reduction and Social Policy Bill (The ACC/IRD Match) : 26 April 1996.
[The ACC/IRD Child Tax Credit Match - never run].
See also: Social Security Amendment Act 1996 - above.
REPORTS OF GENERAL INQUIRIES INTO INFORMATION MATCHES
These reports are made under section 13(1)(m) of the Privacy Act 1993.
1. Unauthorised information matching between Department for Courts and Motor Vehicle Register
Report by the Privacy Commissioner to the Ministers of Justice, Courts and Transport in relation to an inquiry into events surrounding an unauthorised information matching programme operated in mid-1998 : 25 August 2000.
PERIODIC REVIEWS OF OPERATING PROGRAMMES
These are reports made under section 106 of the Privacy Act 1993.
1. Income Support Matches (21 May 1999)
Report by the Privacy Commissioner to the Minister of Justice pursuant to section 106 of the Privacy Act 1993 in relation to a review of the operation of the following information matches:
2. Social Welfare and ACC Matches (16 May 2002)
Report by the Privacy Commissioner to the Minister of Justice pursuant to section 106 of the Privacy Act 1993 in relation to a review of the following information matching provisions:
3. Social Welfare, Unqualified Voters and Fines Defaulters Matches (April 2011)
Report by the Privacy Commissioner to the Minister of Justice pursuant to section 106 of the Privacy Act 1993 in relation to a review of the following information matching programmes:
4. Unenrolled Voters matches (August 2011)
Report by the Privacy Commissioner to the Minister of Justice pursuant to section 106 of the Privacy Act 1993 in relation to a review of the following information matching programmes:
5. Immigration and Justice Matches (September 2012)
Report by the Privacy Commissioner to the Minister of Justice pursuant to section 106 of the Privacy Act 1993 in relation to a review of the following information matching programmes:
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CHANGES TO INFORMATION MATCHING
These are reports made under section 107 of the Privacy Act 1993.
1. Amendment of Information Matching Rules
Report by the Privacy Commissioner to the Minister of Justice recommending the making of an Order in Council to revoke the Fourth Schedule to the Privacy Act 1993 and to substitute a new Schedule containing a revised set of information matching rules : 28 June 2001.
2. Amendment of Information Matching Rules : Supplementary Report
Report by the Privacy Commissioner to the Minister of Justice making supplementary recommendations to those contained in a report of 28 June 2001 recommending the replacement of the information matching rules by Order in Council : 13 August 2003.
