http://www.smh.com.au/news/Richard-Ackland/There-are-bigger-threats-than-ID-cards/2005/01/27/1106415729480.html
Richard Ackland
"The issue of a national identity card has re-emerged. Last week The Australian ran a story about the Government's proposed system of 'document verification'. As far as one could distil from the article, federal cabinet is soon to be presented with a proposal to check the authenticity of people's documents including drivers' licences, passports and birth certificates. This will be done through a formal system of cross-checking and the use of biometric details, which will require members of society to surrender impressions of their facial characteristics and fingerprints.
The online database could be used by government agencies and commercial outfits that need to authenticate anyone's identity to safeguard transactions. This might range from banks, stockbrokers, hotels, airlines, to businesses that hire anything from backhoes to cocktail glasses."
