Concetta Fierravanti-Wells (NSW, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

On behalf of the Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters, I present the report of the committee entitled Review of certain aspects of the administration of the Australian Electoral Commission. I seek leave to move a motion in relation to the report.

Leave granted.

I move:

That the Senate take note of the report.

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 AEC. 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 offices in 135 locations across Australia. The AEC is somewhat unique as an organisation because its 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 offices.

The committee received evidence which 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 are a result of 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 workload across each of its divisional offices, where some offices are 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 of the Chatswood office as part of its inquiry and appreciated the opportunity to speak directly with AEC employees about some of the issues identified in submissions.

Without an extensive body of evidence to draw on, however, 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 which 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. 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. Furthermore, the committee notes the value and logic of having a central tally room in the nation’s capital, which extend beyond any dollar or logistical considerations. The committee has, therefore, recommended that the government ensures the national tally room is retained for future federal elections.

I take this opportunity to thank my fellow committee members for their contribution to this inquiry. I also wish to thank those organisations and individuals who gave their time to prepare submissions and appear as witnesses before the committee. On behalf of my committee colleagues, I commend the report to the Senate.