House of Representatives Committees

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)