Bills Digest no. 86 1977
Census and Statistics Amendment Bill 1977
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This Digest was prepared for debate. It reflects the legislation as
introduced and does not canvass subsequent amendments. This Digest
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Bill.
CONTENTS
Passage History
Purpose
Background
Summary
Contact Officer & Copyright Details
Passage History
Census and Statistics
Amendment Bill 1977
Date introduced: 23 February
1977
House: House of Representatives
Purpose
The purpose of the Bill is to provide
for a census every five years and for the compilation of quarterly
population figures.
Background
The Representation Act 1905 as
amended by the Representation Amendment Bill 1977 requires
the number of seats in the House of Representatives for each State
to be determined in the twelfth month of a Parliament using the
latest statistics of the Commonwealth about the numbers of people
in the States.
The amendments made by this Bill
ensure that with a full census every five years, and State
population figures every quarter, there will always be up-to-date
figures available for this purpose.
Summary
The Bill amends the Census and
Statistics Act 1905.
Clause 3 updates the references to
the Statistician who is now appointed under the Australian
Bureau of Statistics Act 1975.
Clause 4 repeals section 4 which used
to provide for the appointment of the Statistician but which has
not operated since the passage of the Australian Bureau of
Statistics Act 1975.
Clause 5 amends section 8 to provide
for a census every five years; a census may also be held at other
times, if prescribed. The next census is to be held in 1981. The
existing section 8 provides for a census every 10 years and at such
other times as are prescribed.
Clause 7 amends section 20 which
presently requires the compilation and tabulation of the statistics
collected pursuant to the Act (these are listed in section 16),
and, if the Minister directs, their publication in full, or as
abstracts, with comments thereon. The Statistician will now also be
obliged to compile and tabulate quarterly population figures for
the States and to publish them if directed.
Clause 6 amends section 16 so that
any statistics (such as births, deaths, inter-State migrations and
so on) necessary for the compilation of quarterly population
figures must be collected.
Clause 9 does not amend the Act but
limits the requirement to compile the quarterly population figures
to quarter days after the new requirements come into operation.
Clause 8 amends the Australian
Bureau of Statistics Act 1975 to make it clear that an acting
Statistician is required to carry out the duties of the
Statistician (such as compiling quarterly population figures) as
well as exercising his powers and functions.
Law and Government Group
23 February 1977
Bills Digest Service
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ISSN 1328-8091
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