The privatisation of essential government services does little to protect the privacy of thousands of WA residents according to the CSPU/CSA.

Union Branch Secretary Toni Walkington has again condemned the government for its privatisation stance in the wake of details of up to 10,000 motorists being handed over to Wilson Parking.

Ms Walkington said it was a major concern when the government had to comply with a Supreme Court order to surrender the personal details so the private firm could track down unpaid parking fees.

She said it should serve as a serious reminder about vulnerability when the government choses to farm out essential services that the public expects them to maintain.

“It raises the issue of these companies having access to information they shouldn’t really be getting,” Ms Walkington said.

It also raises the issue of the public not being able to scrutinise the services provided by a private company as they could if the service was provided by the government.

“How do we know private companies will provide the same level of quality control that can be maintained by government.”

Download pdf  Beware the pitfalls of privacy says union (225.04 kB)