How far would you go to protect your wee?

About 50,000 of us could be fined $110 a day for not complying with a special part of a century-old piece of legislation, if we don’t surrender personal information about our health and lifestyle for a special government survey.

So, fancy being prosecuted under the Census and Statistics Act 1905 all in the name of a bit of privacy?

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics the Australian Health Survey is a huge research project collating the health and habits of the 50,000 chosen Aussies. It’s a joint project for the ABS, the Department of Health and Ageing and the National Heart Foundation.

It’s due to start in April 2011 and will involve 50,000 randomly selected adults and children across Australia. They select you – you don’t get to volunteer.

The announcement was contained in last week’s federal budget, but it’s flown pretty well under the radar.

Under the plan an ABS interviewer will do the survey with you at your home, you’ll be weighed and measures and you’ll also be asked to pop along to a local pathology centre to give a blood and urine sample. At least you won’t have to pay to do that.

Your samples will be tested for a range of things including blood glucose, kidney function, markers for chronic disease and other health related pointers, but NOT for pregnancy, illicit drugs or things like STDs.

But what happens then? Are the samples destroyed? Is your information anonymous? Who can access the information now and in the future?

At the moment the information released by the ABS doesn’t really answer these questions. The ABS says more details will be released “as they become available”.

What? Hasn’t the plan been completely thought through and finalised BEFORE being put out there? Surely with something as important as your blood and very private health information the ABS, the federal government, and all other stakeholders would have been right through the fine detail FIRST. Perhaps they’re just making us wait for details to keep us interested. Let’s hope so.

In the meantime, I know I face prosecution under the 1905 Act if I don’t comply with the written request. What will I do if I’m one of the winners of the health survey lottery?

I’ll be testing the request in the courts. They can ask – absolutely, they can ask. And I will politely, but firmly, say NO.

I will not be “compelled” to give over this information for a study.

I have committed no crime here and am not suspected of one. Saying NO to the government for this request should not be subject to prosecution.

If 50,000 Aussies say NO…then another 50,000 say NO…and so on…what could they seriously do?