for only Archived historical research Australian Electoral Commission 2001–2002 2002 YEAR OF THE OUTBACK Annual Report for only Archived historical research AUSTRALIAN ELECTORAL © Copyright Commonwealth of Australia, 2002 COMMISSION ANNUAL REPORT This work is copyright. Apart from any use as 2001-02 permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no Published by the Australian Electoral part may be reproduced by any process Commission without prior written permission from the Commonwealth available from the Department CENTRAL OFFICE of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts. Requests and enquiries West Block Offices concerning reproduction and rights should be Queen Victoria Terrace addressed to the Commonwealth Copyright Parkes ACT 2600 Administration, Intellectual Property Branch, Department of Communications, Information POSTAL ADDRESS Technology and the Arts, GPO Box 2154, PO Box E201 Canberra ACT 2601 or by email Kingston ACT 2604 for [email protected] TELEPHONE ISSN 0814-4508 ISBN 0 642 51888 2 (02) 6271 4411 from overseas +61 2 6271 4411 NATIONAL TELEPHONE ENQUIRY NUMBER Cover (main picture) – Remote polling for the 2001 federal election at the community of 13 23 26 Minyallina (Campbell Springs), an outstation of Borroloola in the Gulf of Carpentaria. FACSIMILE Editing: Morris Walker Canberra (02) 6271 4558 Design: Inchbold Nettleton Pty Limited from overseas +61 2 6271 4558 Printing: PMP Limited only WEBSITE www.aec.gov.au EMAIL [email protected] AUSTRALIAN BUSINESS NUMBER 21 133 285 851 historical research AEC Annual Report 2001–2002 CONTENTS ABOUT THIS REPORT 1 ELECTORAL COMMISSIONER’S REPORT 3 AEC OVERVIEW 5 Description 6 Role and functions for 6 Organisational structure 7 The Commission 7 Senior executives and their responsibilities 7 AEC officers 8 Contact details 9 Outcome and output structure 11 AEC HIGHLIGHTS 13 REPORT ON PERFORMANCE 17 Outcome 1 – Electoral roll management only17 Overall performance results 20 Output 1.1.1 – Electoral roll (RMANS) 22 Output 1.1.2 – Electoral roll updates 26 ArchivedOutput 1.1.3 – Roll products and services 28 Output 1.1.4 – Support services for electoral redistribution 30 Outcome 2 – Elections, ballotshistorical and referendums 33 Overall performance results 36 Output 2.1.1 – Federal elections, referendums and by-elections 39 Output 2.1.2 – Party registrations 41 Output 2.1.3 – Funding and disclosure services 43 Output 2.1.4 – Public awareness campaigns, media releases 45 Output 2.1.5 – Informationresearch services 47 Output 2.1.6 – Industrial elections and ballots for organisations 49 Output 2.1.7 – ATSIC elections 51 Output 2.1.8 – State and local government elections 53 Output 2.1.9 – Advice and assistance in overseas elections 54 i Contents Outcome 3 – Election education 61 Overall performance results 64 Output 3.1.1 – Electoral Education Centres (EECs) 65 Output 3.1.2 – School and community programs 68 Other information 71 Analysis of the AEC’s financial performance 72 Developments that have affected or may affect future operations 73 MANAGEMENT AND ACCOUNTABILITY 75 Corporate governance 76 External scrutiny for 87 Management of human resources 88 Purchasing 92 Assets management 92 Consultants and competitive tendering and contracting 93 Providing access to people with disabilities 94 FINANCIAL STATEMENTS 97 OTHER INFORMATION 145 Matters required by legislation only147 Other information 147 Appendices 148 Appendix A – Staffing overview 148 Appendix B – Occupational health and safety (OH&S) 150 ArchivedAppendix C – Freedom of information (FOI) 151 Appendix D – Advertisinghistorical and market research 152 Appendix E – Provision of electoral roll information 153 Appendix F – Ecologically sustainable development and environmental performance 172 Appendix G – Consultancies applicable to the 2001-02 financial year 173 Appendix H – Industrial and commercial elections statistics 176 Appendix I – Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission election statistics 177 GLOSSARY 179 INDEX research 183 Contents ii ABOUTReport THIS REPORT The annual report of the OUR READERS Australian Electoral Commission This report is presented for tabling in both the (AEC) documents the AEC’s Houses of the Parliament of the Commonwealth performance for the financial year ending of Australia. It is also produced to meet the 30 June 2002. information needs of the AEC’s other stakeholders and customers including: The report is presented in six main parts: foreligible voters a review by the Electoral Commissioner political participants (Members of including a summary of significant Parliament, political parties, candidates and developments, an overview of the AEC’s interest groups) performance and the outlook for the year State, Territory and international electoral 2002-03 authorities an overview of the AEC including its other government agencies (federal, State legislative basis and structure and local) an outline of highlights and outcomes for the media the organisation over the past 12 months students, and a report on the AEC’s performance that is structured around the organisation’s AEC staff. outcomes and outputs framework identified only CONTACT OFFICER in its 2001-02 portfolio budget statements, Corporate Plan 1999-02 and National This report is available on the AEC website at Operational Plan 2001-02. This section www.aec.gov.au lists financial and staffing resources For all other enquiries contact: summaries, descriptions of the outcome Archivedand performance information as well as Director Information outputs that were produced in achieving the Australian Electoral Commission planned outcomes PO Box E201 historicalKINGSTON ACT 2604 a report on management and accountability in the areas of corporate governance, Tel (02) 6271 4411 external scrutiny, human resources Fax (02) 6271 4558 management, purchasing, assets, consultants and competitive tendering and contracting, and information required to be reported by legislation and other reporting requirements. This section also includes appendices with detailedresearch information and statistics. Financial statements can be found on page 97. A glossary of terms and abbreviations can be found on page 179. About this report 1 ELECTORALReport COMMISSIONER’S REPORT overseas polling places and engaged over 60,000 temporary staff. Over 5.6 million hits were received on our election night website and more than 500,000 calls answered in the national call centre – a significant improvement in capacity compared with the for1998 election. The AEC also conducted an extensive public information campaign for the 2001 election to maximise public awareness and participation. The integrated campaign consisted of national and local advertising, public relations activities, Internet websites including the virtual tally room on election night and publications including the elector leaflet distributed to over 7.5 million households. Elements of the campaign which were targeted “Our success in conducting the 2001 at electors with particular information needs federal election is testimony to the included advertising in 19 indigenous and 18 other languages, advertisingonly and public unrivalled professionalism of AEC staff relations messages in youth and disability and I express my sincere thanks for their media, an interpreting telephone service covering 15 languages and community dedication and commitment.” education programs. The success in conducting the 2001 federal ArchivedThat a General Election is a election is testimony to the unrivalled watershed in Australia’s history professionalism of AEC staff and I express my is unarguable.historical The year of the sincere thanks for their dedication and election is of no less significance for the commitment. Australian Electoral Commission, as the Turning to other matters, international demand expertise and dedication of its staff in for AEC assistance continued to grow. In planning and preparing for the largest of conjunction with the Papua New Guinea peacetime events, bear fruit. It is also a Electoral Commission and the UN sponsored time when intense public scrutiny and the Independent Electoral Commission in East transparency of the system satisfy Timor, AusAID-funded capacity building a number of objectives, from reassuring programs were delivered in both countries. the electorate of the integrity of the Other highlights of the year’s activities democratic process, to providing a included major AusAID-funded projects in showcase for the professionalismresearch of an support of the elections held in Fiji and the otherwise self-effacing AEC contingent. Solomon Islands and preparatory work for the implementation of a new voter registration A snapshot of the November 10 election system throughout the Federated States of demonstrates the scale of the task involved. Micronesia. In addition, for the federal During the 2001 election, the AEC managed election, the AEC arranged its largest ever over 7,700 polling places, coordinated over international visitor program, involving over 100 mobile polling teams and over 100 60 participants from 19 countries. Electoral Commissioner’s report 3 Underpinning many of these activities was framework to support our revised structure innovative work in the development of generic and strategic direction. I believe that we are voter registration systems and with the already seeing the benefits of this new International Institute for Democracy and framework in terms of performance and Electoral Assistance and the Electoral accountability and a better