Communism. Totalitarianism. Fascism. Big Brother. Big Government. Any of those words can be used to describe what is happening to Australia while the population dozes on.

The political class got away with removal of our rights during Covid. They can do pretty much what they like now. SA and Vic are going ahead with a Voice, despite the fact that a majority of Australians voted against Albanese's version.

No more referenda, just legislation. The idea that the next government can throw out anything that the previous one did no longer applies with the uniparty set up we now have. And, this digital ID abomination was on the Liberal's books before the last election.

I used to get emails from the Liberal Party inventor of digital ID, telling me how bad the Labor Green Alliance's version of his idea was, and how the Liberals would put a stop to it.

I don't get those emails anymore. The Liberals say nothing, or they are obviously in lockstep with the Labor Green Alliance now.

‘Don't vote’, says diver dan. Not allowed to vote is on the way or, the 88% for one person/party Russian version of voting.

We have gone from uproar over the Hawke Australia Card, to almost silence over the Communist China digital version of government control and surveillance. The Australian population is a sick population.

The Gallagher-babble that it won't be compulsory to have a digital ID is vile rubbish, just like the ‘non-mandatory’ Covid vaccines. If you don't have a digital ID, you will not be able to access government departments or much of the personal information hungry private sector, the Albanese government’s partners in controlling your lives.

On the eSafety Commissioner, why someone with an American accent? Could it be that even meek and malleable Australians drew the line at such a totalitarian position?

Australia has given asylum to people fleeing despotism. There is no place for us to escape to.

As long as Australians continue to suffer from Dependency Personality Disorder - the excess need to be taken care of - governments can do pretty much as they please.

Digital ID. Not too different from a driver's licence or passport.

Can't understand why some have a problem with the digital world!

Credit/debit cards are all digital and ID, so what's the problem?

Get yourself an aluminium Wallet, and store it in there, Graham. Then you will be just another anonymous face in the crowd!
Alan B.

These days, the real villains behind our generic political class are probably unaccountable bureaucrats, ‘advisers’.

Politicians are increasingly outsourcing decision making to these bureaucrats to avoid criticism of themselves. They get the same big bucks ($560,000 plus for the bloke who is supposed to be running the country) without the responsibility. Kick them out, and they are replaced by something similar, and Opposition pay is still a lot more than they could get in real life.

The mainstream media does a lot of their work for them as well.

Power is seeping away from Parliament, with any backbencher standing up for his constituents disendorsed.

Rule by the bureaucrats for the bureaucrats: 2.5 million of them now.

Yes, it's all bad enough and I am glad that I won't have to remain in this terrible world for much longer. The claim of "democracy" was a bad joke to begin with, I never took it seriously anyway, but that is not going to help them - go, let's see how governments can catch me while I am dead!

Meanwhile, can someone please tell me, what is the connection between director-ID and this digital ID? Why I have a director-ID due to having an SMSF, just a number I practically never had to use and probably never will. At the same time, I am not even eligible for a personal digital ID, so does it mean that they will force me to quit and close down my SMSF?

Perhaps one of the few saving graces in the whole affair is that " The Government" is so widely regarded as being unable to satisfactorily organise a chook raffle that the ID Card will remain a mess that so occupies the authorities as they try to close down rorts that are assisted in it's implementation. It could well take a lifetime of updates to successfully serve it's intended purpose.

Yuyutsu,

I'm with you on this “terrible world”, and I'm two years off the average lifespan for Australian males. I think we should just act dumb until we leave this world. They reckon we are old and silly anyway. Australian society has never had much respect for the elderly.

Company directors already have digital IDs.

I take it that SMFS is a self managed super fund. I know nothing about that, leaving all my affairs to a financial advisor. I guess the government's evil eye is still on me, though.

None of government websites work. They need to get technical people in to sort out their mess rather than mucking around with something else that will be a flop.

The obsessive objection to responsibility has been growing in popularity among those bleating Democracy.

The horror of contemporary governance. Kudos Graham Young.

Having been scammed I am nervous about having
a digital ID. I imagine quite a few people
feel the same way. I doubt if this will take
off quickly.

Dear Ttbn,

«I take it that SMFS is a self managed super fund.»

Yes, so here is another chain of distortions:
Money is no longer backed by anything real and more of it is printed at will.
Therefore inflation eats away our savings, so we are forced to "invest" just in order to try and keep what we already have.
But government usually taxes our "investments", even if they do not keep up with inflation - unless it is in "super".
If we keep our savings in commercial super-funds, then they are is robbed by unscrupulous managers, thus we need to manage them ourselves, in an SMSF.
And to have an SMSF and be able to manage it yourself alone, you [stupidly] "need" a "company" to hold it in "trust".
And to have a company you need to be a "director"
And to be a "director" you need a "director-ID".

This life-long "director-ID" is designed to stop failed company-directors who have done the wrong thing or mismanaged their company to get away by creating new, "phoenix" companies.
Let's suppose that it is OK and reasonable for real companies that have employees and shareholders and trade with customers and suppliers, etc., but what has it to do with ordinary people who just want to preserve their own savings (rather than having to immorally receive and rely on government age-pension)?

Anyway, other than the headache of creating this director-ID once, then reporting it to the SMSF's auditor, assuming one never becomes a real director of a real company, nothing else ever needs to be done with that number.

I am still waiting to hear what connection is there between this director-ID and the dreadful "digital ID" which the article claims it necessitates.
If that claim is correct and as I am not eligible for a digital ID, I am concerned that I would therefore not be allowed to continue having my SMSF to manage my own savings.
Anyone?

'Your papers, please' - I think we should have another referendum, so I can waste my morning voting 'No' again.

Just wait till cameras with networking are mounted on pedestrian
crossings. Don't jaywalk or against the Don't Walk or you will have
your civil rating decreased.
They do not even have to get a programmer on the job.
China will sell their copy to the government.