This Privacy Statement explains how Ministerial and Parliamentary Services (MaPS) within the Department of Finance (the Department) will handle your personal information.
MaPS administers the provision of non-travel related work expenses and services to parliamentarians and their respective employees, as well as providing car-with-driver services via COMCAR to eligible clients. Some services extend to former Prime Ministers and their staff. MaPS also administers the employment framework for staff of parliamentarians and provides a number of human resources and support services.
Why do we collect personal information?
MaPS collects personal and sensitive information:
- for the administration and provision of resources to current and former Members of Parliament, including their employees and their eligible dependants, under the parliamentary work expenses framework including the Parliamentary Business Resources Act 2017
- to enable the payment of salaries, benefits and allowances to employees under the Members of Parliament (Staff) Act 1984 (MOP(S) Act)
- to provide support and advice to parliamentarians and MOP(S) Act employees in relation to human resources and work health and safety matters
- for research, evaluation and monitoring purposes, including workforce planning purposes
- for other purposes such as maintaining personnel and salary records, handling any freedom of information (FOI) requests under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act), and assisting with inquiries in relation to alleged misuse of parliamentarians’ work expenses.
What information do we collect?
MaPS collects personal and sensitive information to undertake our functions for the Department, including:
- identifying information such as name, date of birth, and gender
- contact information such as postal or other address, phone number, and email address
- financial information such as details about:
- your bank account
- superannuation fund details and information
- your tax file number* and
- your financial situation.
- information about current and previous employment, performance and conduct information, workers compensation claims and qualifications
- general information that assists us to provide services such as personnel records, citizenship details, immigration status, next of kin, driver's license details,
- sensitive information, including health information, criminal records, and diversity information including racial or ethnic origin, whether you identify as a First Nations person, CALD, LGBTQIA+, having a disability or caring responsibilities.
* MaPS will collect your tax file number for the purpose of managing your pay. You are not required to provide it, but if you do not, it will change the way MaPS withhold tax for you and report to the Australian Taxation Office.
How do we collect personal information?
MaPS generally collects personal information about you by, through, or from:
- recruitment and employment documentation
- security clearance documentation
- claim forms
- certifications and acquittals
- telephone, email and other communications from you, Senators and Members, and employees
- other organisations (such as service providers, administering entities and portfolio departments, if applicable).
The information collected may form part of material kept by the Department including records of:
- use of resources claimed or incurred by Members of Parliament
- payments system for MOP(S) Act employees
- material prepared for enquiries in relation to alleged misuse of parliamentarians’ work expenses
- personnel and recruitment records.
At or before the time we collect your personal information (or as soon as practicable afterwards), we may provide you with a notice (also known as a ‘Privacy Notice’, ‘Privacy Collection Statement’ Notice’ or ‘Australian Privacy Principle (APP) 5 Notice’) containing the following information:
- the purpose for which the information is collected
- if the collection is required or authorised by law, or
- any person or body to whom we usually disclose the information.
MaPS provides this notification on online portals, including PEMS, and paper forms.
How do we use and disclose the information we collect?
MaPS only uses and discloses personal and sensitive information in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988. MaPS uses and discloses your personal and sensitive information for the purpose for which it was collected (see ‘Why do we collect personal information?’). MaPS does not typically disclose personal information outside of Australia.
MaPS may also disclose your personal information to other persons and entities in certain circumstances:
- where you have consented
- to external service providers so they may provide services, including:
- the Department of Parliamentary Services
- Property Providers
- to the Parliamentary Workplace Support Service (PWSS) to assist it to perform its functions, including providing support, and reviewing and making recommendations, in relation to MOP(S) Act staff and parliamentarians in the course of their work or employment
- providing details of expenditure to the Independent Parliamentary Expenses (IPEA) for publishing on the IPEA website or as required by law for the performance of IPEA’s functions.
- tabling information in the Parliament
- where the disclosure is required or authorised by or under an Australian law or a court/tribunal order.
Your information may also be de-identified (that is, your identity will not be disclosed) and included in aggregate form and provided to entities for the purposes of workforce planning, research and evaluation, including to:
- the PWSS
- the Australian Bureau of Statistics
- entities with an interest in workforce planning.
How to request access to or correction of information we hold about you, or make a complaint
Details about how you can gain access to or correct the personal information we hold about you, or to make a complaint, can be found in the Department's Privacy Policy. The Department's Privacy Policy can be found here: https://www.finance.gov.au/about-us/privacy-policy-summary.