2019 ANNUAL REPORT ii © Commonwealth of Australia 2020 ISSN: 0814–4508 Unless otherwise noted, the Australian Electoral Commission has applied the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence to this publication with the exception of the Commonwealth Coat of Arms, the AEC’s logos, the AEC’s maps and content supplied by third parties. Use of material subject to the licence must not assert or imply any connection with or endorsement by the AEC unless with express prior written permission. The commission asserts the right of recognition as author of the original material. The publication should be attributed as Australian Electoral Commission Annual Report 2019–20. The term ‘Indigenous’ in this report refers to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people unless otherwise stated. This report may contain the names and images of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people now deceased. Produced by: Australian Electoral Commission Printed by: Elect Printing Annual report contact officer Director, Financial Management Section Australian Electoral Commission 50 Marcus Clarke Street Canberra ACT 2600 Contact phone number: 02 6271 4476 Contact email: [email protected] Entity website: www.aec.gov.au Make an online enquiry www.aec.gov.au/enquiry Accessible services http://www.aec.gov.au/assistance for telephone interpreter services in multiple languages. Readers who are deaf or who have a hearing or speech impairment can contact the AEC through the National Relay Service (NRS). • TTY users phone 133 677 and ask for 13 23 26 • Speak and Listen users phone 1300 555 727 and ask for 13 23 26 • Internet relay users connect to the NRS and ask for 13 23 26 This publication is printed on an uncoated Australian made 30% recycled, FSC© certified carbon neutral paper. Contents About this report vii iii Tools to assist readers vii Letter of transmittal viii Section 01 – Commissioner’s Review 1 Complexity 2 Electoral preparedness 3 Electoral security 4 By-election during pandemic 4 2019–20 Report Annual Indigenous electoral participation 5 The future 5 Section 02 – Overview of the AEC 7 Role and function 8 Organisational structure 8 AEC Organisation Chart 9 Australian Electoral Commission Commission Electoral Australian Section 03 – Performance Report 11 Annual performance statements 13 Statement by the Electoral Commissioner 13 Performance statement—agency direction one 15 Performance statement–agency direction two 20 Performance statement–agency direction three 22 Performance statement–agency direction four 24 Performance statement–agency direction five 26 Performance statement–agency direction six 29 Other performance 31 Section 04 – AEC Functions 33 Active electoral roll management 34 Conducting successful electoral events 36 Undertaking public awareness activities 38 Supporting electoral redistributions 43 Administering political party registrations and financial disclosure 45 Section 05 – Management and Accountability 47 Corporate governance – principles and objectives 48 External scrutiny 50 Our workforce 52 Assets management 56 Purchasing 57 Section 06 – Financial Statements 59 Financial performance summary 60 iv List of financial statements 62 Certification 63 Primary Financial Statements 66 Overview 72 Notes to the Financial Statements 77 Departmental Financial Position and Managing Uncertainties 82 People and relationships 90 Other information 94 Items administered on Behalf of Government 96 Section 07 – Appendices 99 Appendix A: Resources 100 Appendix B: Governance 102 Accountable authority 102 Audit committee details 102 Business planning documents 104 AEC management committees 105 Appendix C: Commonwealth electoral roll information 107 Enrolment rate and enrolled population 107 Commonwealth Electoral roll extracts and recipients 108 Appendix D: Electoral events data 112 Appendix E: Public awareness data 113 Advertising and market research 113 Appendix F: Electoral redistribution data 114 Appendix G: Political party registrations and financial disclosure data 115 Annual financial disclosure returns 2019–20 115 Election funding payments in 2019–20 115 Appendix H: Workforce statistics 116 Appendix I: Electoral communications complaints 126 Section 08 – Reader Guides 127 Abbreviations and acronyms 128 Glossary 130 Index to list of annual report requirements 133 General Index 138 FIGURES Figure 1: Performance criteria from the AEC Portfolio Budget Statements mapped against agency directions 14 Figure 2: Australia’s 151 electoral divisions as at 30 June 2020 44 Figure 3: Enrolment rate trend, 9 October 2004–30 June 2020 107 TABLES Table 1: AEC performance against the regulator performance framework 31 Table 2: AEC APS workforce by employment type and classification (excluding statutory office holders), 30 June 2020 52 v Table 3: New claims for compensable and non-compensable injuries 55 Table 4: Number and expenditure on new and ongoing consultants, current report period (2019–20) 58 Table 5: Agency resource statement summary (2019–20) 100 Table 6: Expenses and resources for Outcome 1 101 Table 7: Average staffing levels 2017–18 to 2019–20 101 Table 8: Details of accountable authority during current report period (2019–20) 102 Annual Report 2019–20 Report Annual Table 9: Audit committee 102 Table 10: Business planning documents 104 Table 11: AEC management committees 105 Table 12: Recipients of electoral roll extracts 2019–2020 108 Table 13: Registered political parties provided with electoral roll extracts 2019–2020 109 Table 14: Government departments and agencies provided with electoral roll extracts 2019–20 110 Australian Electoral Commission Commission Electoral Australian Table 15: Medical and electoral researchers provided with electoral roll extracts, 2019–20 111 Table 16: Provision of electoral roll information to organisations verifying identity for financial purposes, 2019–2020 111 Table 17: Advertising and media placement payments, $14,000 or more 113 Table 18: All ongoing employees current report period (2019–20) 116 Table 19: All non–ongoing employees current report period (2019–20) 116 Table 20: All ongoing employees previous report period (2018–19) 117 Table 21: All non–ongoing employees previous report period (2018–19) 117 Table 22: Australian Public Service Act ongoing employees current report period (2019–20) 118 Table 23: Australian Public Service Act non–ongoing employees current report period (2019–20) 118 Table 24: Australian Public Service Act ongoing employees previous report period (2018–19) 119 Table 25: Australian Public Service Act non–ongoing employees previous report period (2018–19) 119 Table 26: Australian Public Service Act employees by full–time and part–time status current report period (2019–20) 120 Table 27: Australian Public Service Act Employees by full–time and part–time status previous report period (2018–19) 120 Table 28: Australian Public Service Act Employment type by location, current report period (2019–20) 121 Table 29: Australian Public Service Act Employment type by location, previous report period (2018–19) 121 Table 30: Australian Public Service Act Indigenous Employment Current Report Period (2019–20) 121 Table 31: Australian Public Service Act Indigenous Employment Previous Report Period (2018–19) 121 vi Table 32: Australian Public Service Act Employment arrangements current report period (2019–20) 122 Table 33: Australian Public Service Act employment salary ranges by classification level (minimum/maximum) current report period (2019–20) 122 Table 34: Statutory appointments under the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 as of 30 June 2020 123 Table 35: Information about remuneration for key management personnel 124 Table 36: Information about remuneration for Senior Executives (SES) 125 Table 37: Electoral communications complaints investigated by the 126 AEC during the 2019 federal election About this report This report outlines the performance of the Tools to assist readers vii Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) for This publication has: the financial year ending 30 June 2020. a table of contents The report meets the requirements of the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918, lists of figures and tables the Public Governance, Performance an alphabetical index and Accountability Act 2013, and the a list of requirements Public Governance, Performance and cross references Accountability Rule for annual reports. 2019–20 Report Annual an abbreviations and acronyms section There are eight sections: a glossary 1. Commissioner’s review—the Electoral See page ii for accessible services. Commissioner reflects on the year This report is available online at 2. Overview of the AEC—the AEC’s role, transparency.gov.au. A PDF version is also functions and organisational structure available at aec.gov.au/2020. 3. Performance report—performance against the agency purpose and Commission Electoral Australian directions in the AEC Corporate Plan 2019–2023 with reference to the Portfolio Budget Statements 4. AEC functions—the functions which deliver the AEC’s purpose and highlights of the year 5. Management and accountability— information on the management and accountability of the AEC 6. Financial statements—financial performance for 2019–20 including audited financial statements 7. Appendices—additional information 8. Reader guides—abbreviations and acronyms, glossary, index to the list of annual report requirements and a general index Letter of transmittal viii LETTER TRANSMITTAL OF 1 Review Commissioner’s Annual Report 2019–20 Report Annual The Electoral Commissioner, Tom Rogers, reflects