6 December 2012

Govt must learn lessons from latest report into IT security

The release of the Deloitte Phase II Report by the Ministry of Social Development into IT security at the Ministry is an important step towards ensuring that all New Zealanders can trust the Government with their private information, the Green Party said today.

“On top of the Auditor General’s findings into a slack privacy culture at ACC, this is another reminder of how crucial it is for this Government to treat the privacy of individual people with respect,” said Green Party income support spokesperson Jan Logie.

“Respect for privacy must be led from the top, and it’s hard to see how Paula Bennett has the credentials to lead any kind of change when she’s shown such blatant disregard for the privacy of WINZ clients in the past.

“It’s a relief that Deloitte found it was unlikely that other elements of the Ministry of Social Development’s work would be at risk of the weaknesses found in the report.

“The fact that there was a lack of formal privacy security measures at the Ministry of Social Development, and that the security of private information relied on an informal approach, shows the need for better processes.

“The cost to the taxpayer of the two Deloitte reports has been $450,000, and the replacement of the kiosks will, no doubt, costs hundreds of thousands more. The irony of this won’t be lost on the poorest New Zealanders who the Ministry is in charge of helping.”

ENDS

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Gordon Campbell: On Failures Of Care For Those With Mental Disabilities

Hard to imagine a more disturbing insight into the treatment of the vulnerable than the Health Ministry report on Te Roopu Taurima o Manukau. The Ministry has found that the country’s only kaupapa Maori intellectual disability residential care provider has been “seriously dysfunctional.”

The ministry says the business has failed to recruit and retain quality staff – and says the kaimahi (caregivers) that have been employed are seriously unsuitable for the job, lacking basic knowledge. But Te Roopu Taurima o Manukau doesn’t get all the blame. The report says there’s a significant gap under disability laws to ensure there’s oversight by qualified clinical professionals. More>>