The Australian Data and Digital Council Meetings 2023

Who is the ADDC?

The Australian Data and Digital Council (ADDC) is a collaborative council from the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet. It’s made up of ministerial representatives from all Australian states and territories.

Who are the members?

The ADDC includes representatives from each state and territory, and the Chair represents the Federal Government. In 2023, there were three meetings.

The first meeting in February 2023, held in Melbourne, was attended by:

Senator the Hon Katy Gallagher (Commonwealth)
The Hon Bill Shorten MP (Commonwealth)
The Hon Victor Dominello MP (NSW)
The Hon Danny Pearson MP (VIC)
The Hon Leeanne Enoch MP (QLD)
The Hon Stephen Dawson MLC (WA)
The Hon Andrea Michaels MP (SA)
The Hon Ngaree Ah Kit MLA (NT)

The Hon Clare O’Neil MP also attended this meeting.

The second meeting in June 2023, held via videoconference, was attended by:

Senator the Hon Katy Gallagher (Commonwealth)
The Hon Bill Shorten MP (Commonwealth)
The Hon Jihad Dib MP (NSW)
The Hon Danny Pearson MP (VIC)
The Hon Mark Bailey MP (QLD)
The Hon Stephen Dawson MLC (WA)
The Hon Andrea Michaels MP (SA)
The Hon Madeleine Ogilvie MP (TAS)
Mr Chris Steel MLA (ACT)
The Hon Ngaree Ah Kit MLA (NT)

The Hon Clare O’Neil MP and the Hon Mark Dreyfus KC MP also attended this meeting.

The third meeting in September 2023, held via videoconference, was attended by:

Senator the Hon Katy Gallagher (Commonwealth)
The Hon Jihad Dib MP (NSW)
The Hon Danny Pearson MP (VIC)
The Hon Mark Bailey MP (QLD)
The Hon Stephen Dawson MLC (WA)
The Hon Andrea Michaels MP (SA)
The Hon Madeleine Ogilvie MP (SA)
Mr Chris Steel MLA (ACT)
The Hon Ngaree Ah Kit MLA (NT)

The Hon Clare O’Neil MP (Commonwealth) also attended the third meeting.

What’s the ADDC’s role?

The purpose of the ADDC is to facilitate and drive smarter service delivery and improved policy outcomes through cross-government collaboration on data and digital transformation.

The Council works to align policies and services across Australia, focusing on:

Reforming cross-jurisdictional data and digital platforms, services and protocols
Building public trust and delivering a seamless digital identity experience for citizens
Transforming government services around life events

The ADDC operates the critical role of data and technology in the governance and development of Australia’s digital landscape.

The ADDC’s first meeting

The first meeting for 2023 was held in Melbourne on 24 February 2023. The following main areas were discussed:

Modernising Australia’s ID system – Ministers discussed updating Australia’s identity system to align with the modern digital economy. A nationally coordinated approach is vital to provide Australians access and control over digital IDs, making it easy for citizens to interact with the government.
- National Digital ID system: Ministers are actively working on a secure, voluntary method for Australians to verify their identity online when using government services. This includes supporting the broad use of digital IDs aligning with international standards. The audit of the myGov platform prompted discussions on speeding up the development of a national ID system, focusing on security, privacy and human rights.
- Identity resilience: Ministers endorsed in-principle the draft National Strategy for Identity Resilience to strengthen the security of Australian identities. The goal is resilience against theft and easy restoration if compromised. Ministers will consider a final National Strategy for Identity Resilience later this year.
Digital inclusion – Ministers agreed to continue collaborating to support digital inclusion of First Nations people, women and individuals from diverse backgrounds.
Data sharing to support women’s safety – Ministers agreed to explore avenues to support the National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children 2022-2032. Ministers will collaborate with Women’s Safety ministers, focusing on improved data sharing for a comprehensive, whole-society solution against gender-based violence.

For more information, you may like to read the full PMC communication for the 24 February 2023 meeting.

The ADDC’s second meeting

The second ADDC meeting in 2023 was via videoconference on 23 June 2023. The following items were discussed:

Modernising Australia’s ID system
- National Digital ID ecosystem: Ministers agreed on a unified national approach for an easy-to-use Digital ID system that can easily connect with various services. They welcomed Commonwealth investment of $26.9 million in the 2023-24 Budget to expand Digital ID. The economy-wide expansion aims to offer individuals and businesses more choices for using Digital ID to access a wider range of services. The Commonwealth plans to release draft legislation for public consultation later this year.
  
  Ministers acknowledged the importance of aligning national policy on verifiable credentials, such as digital driver licences, with global standards. States and territories are adopting common standards to ensure interoperability between jurisdictions. Verifiable credentials are a digital means for individuals to prove their identity or qualifications.
- Identity resilience: In response to the growing online landscape, ministers launched the National Strategy for Identity Resilience — a significant step towards making Australia more secure against cyber threats. The strategy aims to make Australian identities hard to steal and easy to restore if compromised.
Cyber security – Ministers welcomed an update from Minister O’Neill on the 2023-2030 Australian Cyber Strategy development. The members discussed the near-completion of the National Strategy, ongoing engagement with key stakeholders across all jurisdictions and the recognition of cyber security as a national challenge.
Women’s safety – Ministers discussed the National Criminal Intelligence System’s benefits for sharing data on gender-based violence perpetrators across jurisdictions. This aligns with the National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children 2022-2032.

Ministers noted the National Criminal Intelligence System’s role in improving information sharing, including on perpetrators of gender-based violence, for law enforcement and intelligence agencies across the Commonwealth, states and territories.
Digital inclusion — Ministers agreed to explore options with the First Nations Digital Inclusion Advisory Group, aiming for equal levels of digital inclusion for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. They noted the goal of Target 17 of the National Agreement on Closing the Gap for digital equality for First Nations people by 2026.
Artificial intelligence — Ministers agreed to create a nationally consistent approach for governments to safely and ethically use artificial intelligence.

For more information, you may like to read the full PMC communication for 23 June 2023 meeting.

The ADDC’s third meeting

The third ADDC meeting was held via videoconference on 29 September 2023. The following areas were discussed:

Women’s safety — Ministers support the data-driven implementation of the National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children 2022-32. They will develop consistent national data on family and domestic violence services in collaboration with Women and Women’s Safety Ministers. Nationally shared data will lead to better decisions for planning and delivering services, ensuring improved outcomes for all users.
Intergovernmental Agreement on Data Sharing — Ministers noted the commitment of all governments to share public sector data by default securely, safely, lawfully and ethically. Ministers agreed on the importance of boosting awareness and understanding of the Agreement to uplift data maturity across all jurisdictions.
Artificial intelligence — Ministers are dedicated to a consistent and ethical approach for governments using artificial intelligence. Ministers agreed on principles for collaboration among jurisdictions and adapting to technological changes.
Australia’s digital ID — Ministers are committed to a national Digital ID system and support the ongoing process of Commonwealth legislation. Public input on the proposed law is being sought, reflecting years of work on this initiative. Ministers noted the importance of minimising the sharing of personal information and building public trust in a national system.
Cyber security — Ministers discussed six shields to address cyber security threats.
The 2023 Australian Indigenous Voice referendum — Ministers unanimously support constitutional recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and listening to them to achieve practical outcomes to close the gap.

For more information, you may like to read the full PMC communication for the 29 September 2023 meeting.

Salsa Digital’s take

The three meetings held by the ADDC in 2023 demonstrate a concerted effort to modernise Australia’s digital infrastructure, particularly in enhancing the ID system and strengthening identity resilience against cyber threats. The commitment to social inclusion is evident through collaborative initiatives supporting digital access for diverse groups. The focus on data sharing to address gender-based violence and the exploration of AI governance principles underscore a commitment to ethical and responsible technology use.

The meetings also highlight ongoing efforts to improve public services through data sharing and awareness building. The commitment to a national Digital ID system, along with discussions on cyber security and Indigenous recognition, reflects a holistic and forward-thinking approach to digital governance. Overall, the ADDC’s agenda showcases a strategic and inclusive vision for navigating the digital landscape.