The basis of this study was my belief that the introduction of the present privacy legislation had been done in such a "try and see" manner. To me, the whole process "begged" for a much closer look to try to understand the rationale behind successive governments' decisions on this policy initiative. I begin my look at the process from the 1960s as this is when general public concern for the security of personal information was high. I then move to the introduction of the proposed Australia Card and its demise and then to the present. Then, with reference to the "classic" policy analysis authors, I show that the implementation of federal privacy laws in Australia was an excellent example of how not to go about convincing the public the new laws would offer the protection they, the public, sought. I also explore the reasons behind negative lobbying by certain non-government sector interests to demonstrate how this sector has influenced government thinking. As an example of the study of a policy issue this thesis shows the effect a lack of planning, and a terrible lack of communication, can have on the introduction of any new legislation. Much of this is due to the fact that the real issue behind the introduction of privacy legislation was that of increasing taxation revenue and not the protection of individuals' privacy. The privacy legislation was the "sweetener" the government believed was needed to satisfy the general public's concerns so that the government could achieve the desired result for its taxation revenue policy.

Data surveillance is the systematic use of personal data systems in the investigation or monitoring of the actions or communications of one or more persons. This collection of papers was the basis for a supplication under Rule 28 of the ANU's Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Rules. The papers develop a body of theory that explains the nature, applications and impacts of the data processing technologies that support the investigation or monitoring of individuals and populations. Literature review and analysis is supplemented by reports of field work undertaken in both the United States and Australia, which tested the body of theory, and enabled it to be articulated. The research programme established a firm theoretical foundation for further work. It provided insights into appropriate research methods, and delivered not only empirically-based descriptive and explanatory data, but also evaluative information relevant to policy-decisions. The body of work as a whole provides a basis on which more mature research work is able to build.