The sector-wide “QR Code” surveillance grid will roll out across Queensland in the next few hours, like a thief in the night,” according to Mirani MP Stephen Andrew. From 1am on 9 July, Queenslanders must log in electronically or scan a QR code before they can set foot into a greatly expanded range of venues, buildings, and businesses across the State.
“The QR codes Directive, will now cover virtually every area of human activity in Queensland. It will soak up huge swathes of data to do with Queenslanders’ working, eating, shopping, holidaying and socialising lives. It will determine whether they get to watch a movie, see a play or work out the gym. All sorts of highly sensitive information concerning your day-to-day activities, routines, habits and behaviour will be collected, including intensely private details around the medical services you use, the social and political clubs you belong to and the church, temple or synagogue you attend. It will record how often you go to the bottle shop, gun dealer, pawn broker, union meeting or massage parlour … the list of previously private information about your life that will now be ‘knowable’, is practically unlimited. It remains to be seen whether authorities will be able to resist the massive temptation of accessing this rich data reservoir,” Stephen Andrew said.
Mr Andrew said he had already heard that Queensland Police had accessed it for their investigations.
“But what about all the other ‘stakeholder’ groups who will be desperate to get their hands on it –banks, credit card, insurance companies, ATO, family court lawyers, political think tanks, NGOs, to name just a few. Many experts also see the dangers of an increasing tendency for people to ‘self-impose’ restrictions on their own movements and activities over time. As a ‘self-policing’ tool, the QR code offers untold benefits for government looking to change or modify their citizens behaviour and activities.
“Whether this behaviour or activities are perfectly lawful and legitimate ones, won’t matter. People are going to think very carefully about where they go, what they do and who they associate with from this point on. Those who previously might have joined a farmers’ protest or anti-abortion group, will think twice before they do so again. The chilling effect this could have on our society and people’s way of life is alarming.
“From 1am tomorrow, the way Queenslanders live and interact with each other is going to change in many subtle and unexpected ways. It will have happened through the issuing of a simple health ‘directive’, or decree, with no parliamentary scrutiny, no public discussion or debate and no legislation passed. If you are as worried as I am about where things are headed in Queensland, please help by encouraging as many people as possible to sign our petition. We need to send as powerful a message as possible to Parliament before it is too late.”
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