Australian Capital Territory Consolidated Acts

COOPERATIVES ACT 2002 - SECT 449

    (1)     A person who is, or at any time was, engaged in the administration of this Act must not record, make use of, or communicate, divulge or make available, in any way, information obtained in the course of the administration.

Maximum penalty: 50 penalty units, imprisonment for 6 months or both.

    (2)     Subsection (1) does not apply to—

        (a)     the recording, making use of or divulging of information in the course of the administration of this Act; or

        (b)     the recording or making use of information for the purpose of divulging it as permitted by subsection (3) or (4); or

        (c)     the divulging of information as permitted by subsection (3) or (4).

    (3)     Information may be divulged—

        (a)     for a criminal proceeding; or

        (b)     for a proceeding under this Act or an inquiry authorised by a territory law; or

        (c)     with the agreement of the person to whom the information relates; or

        (d)     in accordance with a requirement under the Ombudsman Act 1989 ; or

        (e)     in accordance with a reciprocal arrangement under section 463.

    (4)     Information may be divulged to—

        (a)     the Minister; or

        (b)     the Treasurer; or

        (c)     the commissioner for revenue; or

        (d)     the auditor-general; or

        (e)     the ombudsman; or

        (f)     the Commissioner of Taxation, a Second Commissioner of Taxation or a Deputy Commissioner of Taxation holding office under a Commonwealth Act; or

        (g)     the Australian Securities and Investments Commission; or

        (h)     the person who, under a law of a State or another Territory, administers a law of the State or other Territory that relates to taxation or the imposition of a duty; or

              (i)     a person seeking information under a reciprocal arrangement under section 463; or

        (j)     a police officer exercising functions as a police officer; or

        (k)     a person nominated by a person mentioned in paragraphs (a) to (h); or

        (l)     anyone to whom, in the registrar's opinion, it is in the public interest that the information be divulged.

    (5)     For this section, a person is, or was, engaged in the administration of this Act if the person exercises, or at any time exercised, a function as—

        (a)     the registrar; or

        (b)     an inspector; or

        (c)     an investigator; or

        (d)     a person appointed or employed for this Act.