(1) The Minister must issue guidelines in relation to the operation of this Part including the specification of requirements to be complied with by an information sharing entity in order to demonstrate the capacity of that information sharing entity to handle confidential information responsibly and appropriately in accordance with this Part.
(2) Without limiting subsection (1), guidelines issued must address child consent to the collection, use or disclosure of confidential information about the child in accordance with this Part.
(3) Before issuing guidelines under subsection (1), the Minister must publish, on an appropriate Internet site—
(a) a draft of the proposed guidelines; and
(b) a statement that submissions may be made to the Minister on or before a specified date, being at least 28 days after the day on which the draft guidelines are published.
(4) As soon as practicable after finalising draft guidelines, the Minister must publish the guidelines on an appropriate Internet site.
(5) Subject to subsection (6), an information sharing entity must comply with any guidelines issued under this section when handling confidential information in accordance with this Part.
(6) Subsection (5) does not apply to any person or body specified in section 144I that has been prescribed to be an information sharing entity.
(7) Guidelines issued under subsection (1) are not legislative instruments within the meaning of the Subordinate Legislation Act 1994 .
(8) The Minister may review guidelines issued under subsection (1) at any time, and may issue amended guidelines as the Minister considers necessary.
(9) If the Minister considers that an amendment to the guidelines is significant or substantial, the requirements of subsection (3) must be met before the amended guidelines may be issued.
S. 144PA inserted by No. 23/2017 s. 7.