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AEC Annual Report 2002-03

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AEC Annual Report 2002-03 for only Archived AnnualAustralian Electoral Repor Commission historical 2002–03 Annual Report research t AUSTRALIAN ELECTORAL COMMISSION ANNUAL REPORT 2002–03 Australian Electoral Commission Annual Report 2002–03 Produced by: Australian Electoral Commission Project Managed by: Shirley Weber Printed by: National Capital Printing (02) 6280 7477 Coordinated and edited by: WordsWorth Writing (02) 6232 7511 Designed by: SpinCreative (02) 6260for 3881 Web address of this report: <www.aec.gov.au/what/publications> Contact offi cer: Director Information Australian Electoral Commission West Block Offi ces Queen Victoria Terrace Parkes ACT 2600 PO Box 6172 Kingston ACT 2604 Telephone: (02) 6271 4411 only Fax: (02) 6271 4558 Email: [email protected] Website: <www.aec.gov.au> ArchivedISBN 0 642 51907 2 ISSN 0814-4508 © Commonwealth ofhistorical Australia 2003 This work is copyright. Apart from any use as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced by any process without prior written permission from the Commonwealth, available from the Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts. Requests and inquiries concerning reproduction and rights should be addressed to the Commonwealth Copyright Administration, Intellectual Property Branch, Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts, GPO Box 2154, Canberra ACT 2601, or posted at <www.dcita.gov.au/cca>.research for only Letter of transmittal Archived historical research 9 September 2003 iv AUSTRALIAN ELECTORAL COMMISSION ANNUAL REPORT 2002–03 Contents About this Report 1 Electoral Commissioner’s Report 3 AEC Overview 5 AEC Highlights for 15 Report on Performance 21 Outcome 1 – Electoral roll management 21 Output 1.1.1 Electoral roll 28 Output 1.1.2 Electoral roll updates 32 Output 1.1.3 Roll products and services 34 Output 1.1.4 Support services for electoral redistributions 36 Outcome 2 – Elections, ballots and referendums 39 Output 2.1.1 Federal elections, by-elections and referendums 47 Output 2.1.2 Party registrations 49 Output 2.1.3 Funding and disclosure services only52 Output 2.1.4 Public awareness campaigns, media releases 55 Output 2.1.5 Information services 57 Output 2.1.6 Industrial elections and ballots for organisations 60 Output 2.1.7 ATSIC elections 62 Output 2.1.8 State and local government elections 65 ArchivedOutput 2.1.9 Advice and assistance in overseas elections 68 Outcome 3 – Electoral education 75 Output 3.1.1historical Electoral education centres 80 Output 3.1.2 School and community programs 84 Financial performance and future operations 89 Analysis of the AEC’s financial performance 91 Developments that have affected or may affect future operations 92 Management and Accountability 95 Corporate governance 97 External scrutiny research 107 Management of human resources 108 Purchasing 114 Assets management 114 Consultants and competitive tendering and contracting 115 Providing access for people with disabilities 116 Discretionary grants 118 CONTENTS v Financial Statements 119 Appendices 171 Appendix A Staffing overview 172 Appendix B Occupational health and safety 174 Appendix C Freedom of information 176 Appendix D Advertising and market research 178 Appendix E Provision of electoral roll informationfor 179 Appendix F Ecologically sustainable development and environmental performance 195 Appendix G Consultancies applicable in 2002–03 196 Appendix H Industrial and commercial elections statistics 199 Appendix I ATSIC further election and casual vacancy statistics 201 Glossary and Abbreviations 203 Indexes 205 Compliance index 205 General index only207 Tables Table 1 Outcome 1 – Electoral roll management: summary of resources 23 ArchivedTable 2 Outcome 1 – Electoral roll management: overall performance results 24 Table 3 Outputhistorical 1.1.1 – Electoral roll: performance results 28 Table 4 Number of persons enrolled at 30 June, 1996–2003 29 Table 5 Enrolment activity, 1 July 2002 to 30 June 2003 30 Table 6 Output 1.1.2 – Electoral roll updates: performance results 32 Table 7 Output 1.1.3 – Roll products and services: performance results 34 Table 8 Output 1.1.4 – Support services for electoral redistributions: performance results 36 Table 9 Outcome 2 – Elections, ballots and referendums: summary of resources 41 Table 10 Outcomeresearch 2 – Elections, ballots and referendums: overall performance results 42 Table 11 Output 2.1.1 – Federal elections, by-elections and referendums: performance results 47 Table 12 Output 2.1.2 – Party registrations: performance results 50 Table 13 Output 2.1.3 – Funding and disclosure services: performance results 52 vi AUSTRALIAN ELECTORAL COMMISSION ANNUAL REPORT 2002–03 Table 14 Output 2.1.4 – Public awareness campaigns, media releases: performance results 55 Table 15 Output 2.1.5 – Information services: performance results 58 Table 16 Output 2.1.6 – Industrial elections and ballots for organisations: performance results 60 Table 17 Output 2.1.7 – ATSIC elections: performance results 63 Table 18 Output 2.1.8 – State and local government elections: performance results 65 Table 19 Output 2.1.9 – Advice and assistance in overseas elections: performance results for 68 Table 20 Outcome 3 – Electoral education: summary of resources 77 Table 21 Outcome 3 – Electoral education: overall performance results 78 Table 22 Output 3.1.1 – Electoral education centres: performance results 80 Table 23 Output 3.1.2 – School and community programs: performance results 84 Table 24 Base salary bands for statutory appointees and senior executive staff 106 Table 25 Salary bands for staff employed under the Certifi ed Agreement 111 Table 26 Equal employment opportunity profi le as at 30 June 2003 113 Figures only Figure 1 Organisational chart 12 Figure 2 Outcome and output structure 13 Figure 3 Visitors to the Canberra EEC 82 ArchivedFigure 4 Visitors to the Melbourne EEC 83 Figure 5 Visitorshistorical to the Adelaide EEC 83 Figure 6 Participants in School and Community Visits Program sessions and activities 88 Figure 7 Membership of senior management committees 99 Figure 8 Membership of outcome management committees 101 Figure 9 Planning, operating and reporting framework 103 research MANAGEMENT AND ACCOUNTABILITY Corporate governance 1 About this Report for Purpose This annual report of the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) documents the AEC’s performance for the fi nancial year ending 30 June 2003. Structure only The report is presented in eight main parts: • a review by the Electoral Commissioner, including summaries of signifi cant developments and the AEC’s overall performance in 2002–03, and of the outlook for 2003–04 Archived• an overview of the AEC, including explanations of its legislative basis and structure • an outline of the highlights of the AEC’s performance in relation to its outcomes over the past 12 months historical • a report on the AEC’s performance, structured around the organisation’s outcomes and outputs framework as identifi ed in its 2002–03 Portfolio Budget Statements • a report on the AEC’s management and accountability in the areas of corporate governance, external scrutiny, human resources management, purchasing, assets management, providing access for people with disabilities, and consultants and competitive tendering and contracting • the AEC’s audited fi nancial statements for 2002–03 • other information –research this part includes appendices providing certain detailed information and statistics required to be reported by legislation and other reporting requirements • a reference section, comprising a list of abbreviations used in the report, a compliance index and a general index. 2 AUSTRALIAN ELECTORAL COMMISSION ANNUAL REPORT 2002–03 Readers This report is presented for tabling in both Houses of the Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia. It is also designed to meet the information needs of the AEC’s stakeholders and customers, including: • eligible electors • political participants, such as members of parliament, political parties, electoral candidates and interest groups • the media and commentators for • State, Territory and international electoral authorities • other government agencies – federal, State and local • students, teachers and researchers • AEC staff. The report is available free of charge in hard copy or via the AEC website, <www.aec.gov.au>. Contact offi cer For more information about the annual report, contact the Director Information at the address shown below. General contact details for the AEC are shown in the Overview sectiononly of this report. Director Information Australian Electoral Commission PO Box 6172 ArchivedKingston ACT 2604 Phone: (02) 6271 4411 Fax: (02) 6271 4558historical research Electoral Commissioner’s Report for The 2002–03 year was arduous and demanding, frustrating and satisfying, yet generally effective and productive. Throughout, our fi nancial position hung like a cloud over most activity and, were it not for a high level of stringency and limited risk taking, we would not have fi nished the year in front. Unfortunately next year will offer little relief without signifi cant fi nancial or structural intervention. In October 2002 the AEC conducted a by-election in the Division of Cunningham and theonly fi fth round of national Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission Regional Council elections. More than 53,000 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander electors voted at the 650 static polling places or were visited Archivedby one of the many mobile polling teams established to service remote communities. In Tasmania an
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