The AEC acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the country throughout Australia and recognises their continuing connection to land, waters and community.

We pay our respects to their cultures and to their Elders both past, present and emerging.

 

UPDATE: The Australian Electoral Commission are currently engaging closely with Reconciliation Australia on the development of our new Innovate RAP. In line with Reconciliation Australia’s guidance, we remain an active RAP partner during this interim period until the new RAP has been endorsed. We are continuing to implement our existing Reflect RAP commitments, undertake our reporting requirements and engage closely with Reconciliation Australia to develop a sustainable and meaningful new RAP.

Message from the Electoral Commissioner

I am pleased to present the Reconciliation Action Plan 2020-2021 for the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC).

This is the agency’s third Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) and reflects our continued commitment to enhancing our reputation as an employer of choice for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Our focus remains on removing barriers to inclusivity in the workplace and fostering a work environment that acknowledges all cultures.

This RAP has an internal focus and outlines the actions we will take and targets we have set to improve opportunities for our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff and to strengthen and sustain our relationship with communities. It complements the AEC’s commitment to increase electoral participation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples through the delivery of the Indigenous Electoral Participation Program (IEPP).

Illustrative of our commitment to reconciliation, this RAP was developed by our Reconciliation Action Plan Working Group (RAP WG) which comprises Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and non-Indigenous staff from across the country. The RAP WG is responsible for monitoring progress and making adjustments, as required, to ensure we respond to the needs and aspirations of our staff and communities.

I look forward to working with our Executive Leadership Team to actively monitor and evaluate the RAP throughout its implementation across the agency.

Tom Rogers
Electoral Commissioner
Australian Electoral Commission

Message from Reconciliation Australia

Reconciliation Australia is delighted to see the Australian Electoral Commission continue its reconciliation journey and to formally endorse this Reflect RAP.

Through development of this Reflect RAP, the Australian Electoral Commission continues to play an important role in a community of hundreds of dedicated corporate, government, and not-for-profit organisations that have formally committed to reconciliation through the RAP program. RAP organisations across Australia are turning good intentions into positive actions, helping to build higher trust, lower prejudice, and pride in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.

RAPs provide organisations with a blueprint to contribute toward the five dimensions of reconciliation: race relations; equality and equity, institutional integrity; unity; and historical acceptance. It is critical to not only uphold all five dimensions of reconciliation, but to increase awareness of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, histories, knowledge and leadership within and across all sectors of Australian society.

By committing to this Reflect RAP, the Australian Electoral Commission will strengthen structures to guide reconciliation initiatives and continue promoting lifelong cultural learning journeys amongst all employees. The Australian Electoral Commission will deepen its understanding of its sphere of influence and the unique contribution it can make to lead progress across the five dimensions of reconciliation.

On behalf of Reconciliation Australia, I commend the Australian Electoral Commission on the development of this RAP, and look forward to following its ongoing reconciliation journey.

Karen Mundine
Chief Executive Officer
Reconciliation Australia

Our Reconciliation Action Plan

Our business

The AEC is a statutory authority responsible for administering the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 (the Electoral Act). The AEC must conduct federal elections and referendums, maintain the Commonwealth electoral roll and administer Part XX of the Electoral Act, which deals with political funding and disclosure. The AEC also provides a range of electoral information and education programs.

The AEC is funded to deliver one key outcome:

Maintain an impartial and independent electoral system for eligible voters through active electoral roll management, efficient delivery of polling services and targeted education and public awareness programs.

The AEC has a National reach, with just over 90 sites around Australia. We have a regular workforce of 788 APS employees which includes 14 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people (as at 31 August 2019).

Our RAP story

The AEC’s first RAP, released in 2012, set the foundation for the AEC to engage and work towards reconciliation with our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff and communities. It established a minimum standard for building and maintaining relationships, providing opportunities to engage and retain Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff and to establish partnerships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

The AEC’s second RAP (2016–2018) strengthened our desire to further embed strategies that support the building of relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and the provision of opportunities for our staff to deliver culturally appropriate services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander electors.

The AEC’s, third RAP (our current RAP) continued to build momentum for a united approach to reconciliation that every employee supports and actively contributes to the delivery and achievement of the action items and key themes of: respect, relationships, and opportunities.

The AEC’s goal for our next RAP has once again returned to the Reflect RAP, taking this opportunity to consolidate and review progress so far, identify further opportunities and maintain momentum in areas of success.  The focus of our new RAP is to deliver high quality action items that are achievable and to ultimately position AEC for an Innovate RAP in 2023.

A RAP Working Group will be established to ensure the actions of the new RAP are progressed.  Members of the RAP Working Group will be made up of AEC employees from across State and National Office branches. All Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employees and employees who have an interest in Reconciliation and Indigenous affairs are encouraged to take part.

By building and maintaining strong relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, the AEC will play its part in promoting reconciliation in Australia. The AEC acknowledges activities supporting reconciliation can improve Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employment outcomes.

Within the AEC, we are committed to improving outcomes for all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Where our interactions as an agency are concerned, cultural understanding and acknowledgement will aid in education and engagement in Australia’s electoral and democratic processes.

Key Learnings

Clear gains are made by engaging with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in person, and with purpose.  Working with community members develops understanding and respect through collaboration, communication and shared goals.

AEC Qld-NT IEPP staff conducted multiple election events for the Torres Strait Regional Authority in 2019. The team travelled to Thursday Island and Ugar and engaged with the local community to ensure candidates understood how to nominate correctly and that all eligible electors had the opportunity to vote.  Local community members were employed and trained – as a Liaison Officer, Senior Liaison Officer, and Polling Official, and the team achieved an increase in enrolment of 6.1%.  These gains will prove valuable as several elections - with their related employment opportunities - are scheduled for 2020.
David Stuart, IEPP QLD & NT

Communication in language is particularly important to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.  Radio, television and print media are produced in language by communities around Australia, with a key goal of translating information accurately and with appropriate cultural messaging.  Translating information regarding our core business and employment opportunities will greatly improve engagement with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, demonstrating respect for culture and a willingness to understand the needs and priorities of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

I was seconded to the Jawun program and based in Miriwoong Country in the Kimberley region of WA. Jawun focusses on Indigenous-led, place-based capacity building. Working with the local community radio station, I witnessed the importance of language and respect in the local community.  The radio station worked with the local language centre to develop and deliver content in language which was culturally appropriate, and endorsed by the Elders group.  Information provided in language is far more accessible to Indigenous communities, particularly where the written form of language is still in development.
Jawun participant 2019 – Danielle Paterson

Our partnerships/current activities

• 6 events were hosted for National Reconciliation Week 2019 and AEC collaborated with other organisations on external events.
• NAIDOC Week Awards were presented to employees and teams who contributed significantly to service provision, reconciliation and engagement with Indigenous communities and organisations.
• AEC accessed immersion opportunities for AEC employees via the Jawun program, which is administered by the Australian Public Service Commission (APSC).
• AEC engaged in 15 formal partnerships and 30 informal partnerships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations during the previous reporting period.
• AEC contracted with 6 Supply Nation business during the reporting period.

Relationships

Building and maintaining respectful and sustainable relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples is core to our values and the way we do business. It enables us to better understand needs and aspirations and to encourage Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander participation in the electoral system and democratic processes.

Respect

We will strive to foster an inclusive and respectful workplace environment in which our staff acknowledge and have an understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and heritage.

Opportunities

We strive to provide employment opportunities and pathways for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to build the diversity of our workforce while contributing to the greater understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and their cultures.

Governance

Artwork - Journey

As the journey travels across the country, water springs up though the dusty sands of time, representing the emergence, strength and resilience of history, culture and knowledge that has always been present and becomes a part of the national dialogue.

Artwork collaboration David Williams, Jenna Lee and Rachael Sarra

Artist Bios

DAVID WILLIAMS - A proud Wakka Wakka man, David has been a practicing artist for the last 15 years.

His first solo exhibition was held in 2004, and he went on to have his first international exhibition in Sweden in the same year. David now has his works hung overseas in private collections in Italy, Spain, England and Germany.

While predominantly using acrylic on canvas, David began exploring other mediums, which extended to the use of design to communicate. He began experimenting with vector-based graphics as a foundation for his artwork, which had a wider ranging commercial application. His artwork subsequently extended to a series of publications and other areas. Through artwork and design, David strives to educate others about his people and his culture, hoping that one day there will be a better understanding across the mainstream population of Australia.

JENNA LEE - Jenna is a proud Larrakia woman with a Bachelor Degree in Visual Communication Design from the Queensland College of Art, and TAFE qualifications in Visual Art and Contemporary Craft. Jenna has been a member of the Gilimbaa team since 2013 when she joined as a University Intern, and is now a full time Graphic Designer. Jenna specialises in Layout and Document Design, in particular designing for maximum accessibility for visual and reading impaired audiences. Her design is strongly influence by her heritage and she has begun exploring traditional artwork styles, drawing on the rich artistic practices of her Larrakia ancestors.

RACHAEL SARRA - Rachael Sarra is a proud Indigenous designer from the Gurang Gurang/ Bunda people. Graduating from the Queensland College of Art with a Visual Communication Design degree with majors in Typography and Socially Responsive Design. Rachael has come from a strong freelance and agency background specialising in concept development, illustration and campaign development with special consideration around cultural awareness.

Contact us

For more information about what the agency is doing to meet its RAP obligations please contact the AEC.