Inquiry into the integrity of the electoral roll

Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters

Committee activities (inquiries and reports)

Inquiry into the integrity of the electoral roll

The Committee tabled its report User friendly, not abuser friendly: Report of the inquiry into the integrity of the electoral roll in both houses of Parliament on 18 June 2001. A copy of the full report is available in PDF format (743KB) or from the Committee Secretariat.

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List of submissions

List of public hearings

Transcripts of public hearings

Media releases

Government response (PDF format 37KB)

 

Contents of report: User friendly, not abuser friendly: Inquiry into the integrity of the electoral roll

FRONT SECTION (PDF format 40KB) (This document contains the sections of the report from the Foreword to the List of recommendations)

Foreword

Membership of the Committee

Terms of reference

List of Abbreviations

List of Recommendations (PDF format 13KB)

CHAPTER ONE - Introduction (PDF format 40KB)

Background
Related inquiries and their impact on the committee's work
Shepherson Inquiry
The LCARC inquiry
Earlier JSCEM inquiries
Inquiry into the integrity of the electoral roll
Structure of the report

CHAPTER TWO - Managing the roll (PDF format 116KB)

Fraudulent enrolment
Defining enrolment fraud
Extent of enrolment fraud
Mechanisms for managing the roll
Current identification and verification procedures
The Roll Management System
Continuous Roll Updating
Removing deceased electors
Return to sender mail
Full habitation review
Roll audits of selected Divisions
Section 85 of the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918
Identity checks at enrolment
Early close of rolls
Previous JSCEM federal election inquiry recommendations
Submissions to the current inquiry
Access to the electoral roll

CHAPTER THREE - Enrolment fraud management (PDF format 61KB)

AEC fraud control plan
Issues relating to AEC staff
Training of AEC staff
Staff security checks
Staff - management communications
Enrolment fraud investigation
AEC investigation process
Relationship between AEC and AFP
AFP investigative process
Tied funding
Penalties for enrolment offences
Offences
Transfer of offences to the criminal code
Disqualification from parliament
Increasing penalties for the remaining offences
External scrutiny of fraud control activities
ANAO performance audit on the AEC management of the electoral roll
Scrutiny by the committee

CHAPTER FOUR - Regulating political parties (PDF format 57KB)

Regulation of parties-current practice
Regulation of parties-a need for tighter control?
Parties as private bodies
Political parties in other liberal democracies
Changes in Australian society
The receipt of public money
Changes in the law
Regulation of parties-how might it be strengthened?
Tightening existing arrangements
The AEC and party preselections
External influence upon parties

MINORITY REPORT - Mr Laurie Ferguson MP, Senator the Hon John Faulkner, and Mr Robert McClelland MP (ALP) (PDF format 453KB)

MINORITY REPORT - Senator Andrew Bartlett and Senator Andrew Murray (Australian Democrats (PDF format 7KB)

APPENDIX A - List of submissions (PDF format 17KB)

APPENDIX B - List of exhibits (PDF format 13KB)

APPENDIX C - List of hearings and witnesses (PDF format 14KB)