Sophie Mirabella (Indi, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

On behalf of the Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters, I present the committee’s report entitled Review of certain aspects of the administration of the Australian Electoral Commission.

Ordered that the report be made a parliamentary paper.

On behalf of the Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters, I have pleasure in presenting the committee’s second report for 2007, Review of certain aspects of the administration of the Australian Electoral Commission. With a federal election approaching, it has been a timely exercise for the committee to review certain aspects of the administration of the Australian Electoral Commission. Although it may not sound like a particularly immediately exciting terms of reference that would excite the media or some who look to the two-dimensional aspects of politics to find something scintillating for a 10-second grab, it is very important and fundamental because it goes to the very question of how the AEC is adequately staffed to perform the very important role that it has in maintaining our electoral rolls and maintaining an adequate workforce in the lead-up to an election.

The terms of reference for the inquiry required the committee to direct much of its focus on the staffing arrangements across the AEC’s divisional office network. Currently there are 150 AEC divisional officers in 135 locations around Australia. The AEC is a somewhat unique organisation because its so-called business cycle is influenced by the relatively unpredictable timing of key electoral events and federal elections, which determine workload peaks and impact significantly on staffing requirements. The impacts of the election cycle are a key consideration for the AEC in determining the most appropriate staffing model for divisional officers.

The committee received evidence that raised a number of concerns regarding workforce issues in some AEC divisional offices. These concerns related to employment structure, staffing levels, career opportunities for staff, retention issues and the effectiveness of co-located divisional offices. Some of these concerns result from the AEC implementing a new divisional office staffing profile. To coincide with this new staffing profile the AEC also introduced a process of workload sharing in an effort to combat the diversity of the workload across each of its divisional offices, with some offices being tasked with processing up to three times the number of enrolment transactions as others. Specific concerns came from the co-located divisional office in Chatswood, New South Wales, which services four electoral divisions. The committee conducted a site visit to the Chatswood office as part of its inquiry and appreciated the opportunity to speak directly and openly with AEC employees about some of the issues identified in submissions.

Without an extensive body of evidence to draw on, it is difficult for the committee to determine whether the concerns raised during the inquiry are symptomatic of widespread issues within the AEC. While the committee is not in a position to draw comprehensive conclusions, it considers the concerns that were raised to be significant enough to warrant further investigation. Therefore, the committee has recommended that the Auditor-General examine the issue of workforce planning in the AEC in further detail.

The committee was also asked to consider whether the national tally room should be maintained beyond the next federal election. This was the subject matter of the inquiry that generated most media and public discussion. I am pleased to report that the committee supports the continuation of the tally room and is of the view that the abolition of the tally room would have a negative impact on the perception of the transparency of elections and democracy. Furthermore, the committee notes the value and logic of having a central tally room in the nation’s capital that extends beyond any monetary or logistical considerations. The committee has therefore recommended that the government ensure that the national tally room be retained for future federal elections.

I thank my fellow committee members for their contribution to this inquiry. The member for Melbourne Ports will be speaking on the report in a moment and, although neither he nor any other of the Labor Party members were there to consider the final draft of the report, I take their absence and lack of comment as an indication of bipartisan and unanimous support. I am sure that the member for Melbourne Ports will take the opportunity to make other political comments in any case. I would also like to thank Stephen Boyd, the secretary of the committee, and Justin Baker. (Time expired)

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