A bill which would substantially strengthen the powers of the Privacy Commissioner has been drawn from the Member's ballot at Parliament.
The Privacy Amendment Bill, sponsored by Sue Moroney (Labour), would empower the Privacy Commissioner to undertake investigations into privacy breaches, issue compliance notices and to demand information-handling audits across the public and private sectors.
Those powers were a recommendation from a review of privacy law by the Law Commission in 2011.
But the Government has so far not taken up the recommendation, despite Privacy Commissioner Marie Shroff describing the changes as urgently-needed.
The bill will be introduced to the House for debate on an upcoming Members' day.
