Julie Bishop with Daniel Elbaum.
Jon Bassett
Camera IconJulie Bishop with Daniel Elbaum. Jon Bassett Credit: Supplied/Jon Bassett

Card could get the vote

Jon BassettWestern Suburbs Weekly

“A next step is to clearly consider the card in the context of online voting, and I will send it to the Innovation Minister,” Ms Bishop said when Subiaco cyber-security company SecurET joined CSIRO and VeroCard creator Point of Pay to develop the card last Friday.

After 12 years of development, VeroCard’s inventors claim the device gives the public the same level of encrypted security that banks use for international money transactions.

Because of the highest levels of personal identity protection, it is claimed the card could provide Federal Government services including Medicare, Centrelink, Child Support, the National Disability Insurance Scheme, My Aged Care and My Health Record.

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The card could also confirm personal identification when licences, registrations and passports are issued.

US President Barack Obama is said to be interested in the card’s use for passport control.

Ms Bishop said VeroCard’s development fitted with the Federal Government’s innovation strategy but the Government would “have to see” if the card had a role in privatising Medicare payments, after that potential change was revealed last week.

Melbourne-based VeroCard inventor Daniel Elbaum created the portable Eftpos machine and he said his card was the “key” to the world-leading TrustStore information storage technology created by CSIRO.

“So I can have 100 credit cards loaded on to one thing, and all transactions can be made on that,” Mr Elbaum said.

The VeroCard may be publicly available in 12 months, with each costing about $75 to $100.