Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters

Updated: 2 May 2011

Inquiry into the Conduct of the 2007 Federal Election

The JSCEM was asked by the Special Minister of State and the Senate to inquire and report on the conduct of the 2007 federal election in early 2008. The Senate also referred the Commonwealth Electoral (Above-the-Line Voting) Amendment Bill 2008 and the Commonwealth Electoral Amendment (Political Donations and other measures) Bill 2008 to the JSCEM for inquiry and report in conjunction with the Committee's inquiry into the 2007 election.

The JSCEM received submissions from nearly 200 organisations and individuals, and conducted hearings in all state and territory capital cities, except Darwin.

The Australian Electoral Commission made 21 formal written submissions to the JSCEM as listed below. Note that Annex 3 of submission 169.1 (Submission 2) was corrected by submission 169.10.

Sub:
169
Date:
20 June 2008
Title:

JSCEM Submission [PDF 1.3MB]

Sub:
169
Date:
20 June 2008
Title:

Annexes to submission [PDF 1.4MB]

Sub:
169.1
Date:
15 Sept 2008
Title:

Submission 2 [PDF 4.7MB]

Sub:
169.2
Date:
15 Sept 2008
Title:

Paragraphs 1a to 1i of the JSCEM Inquiry Terms of Reference [PDF 397KB]

Sub:
169.3
Date:
30 Sept 2008
Title:

Senate counting system [PDF 666KB]

Sub:
169.4
Date:
13 Oct 2008
Title:

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Electoral Information Service (ATSIEIS) [PDF 1.2MB]

Sub:
169.5
Date:
16 Oct 2008
Title:

Postal votes rejected as cast late or received late [PDF 199KB]

Sub:
169.6
Date:
11 Nov 2008
Title:

Submission 3 [PDF 2.5MB]

Sub:
169.7
Date:
11 Nov 2008
Title:

Timing of the declaration of the polls, election procedure manuals [PDF 1.1MB]

Sub:
169.8
Date:
21 Nov 2008
Title:

Disputed ballot papers [PDF 547KB]

Sub:
169.9
Date:
21 Nov 2008
Title:

AEC responses to Hearings of 11 August and 17 October 2008 [PDF 841KB]

Sub:
169.10
Title:

Correction to Submission 2, Annex 3 [PDF 338KB]

Sub:
169.11
Date:
18 Dec 2008
Title:

Voting arrangements for Defence force personnel serving overseas [PDF 139KB]

Sub:
169.12
Date:
7 Jan 2009
Title:

Allegations of multiple voting in McEwen [PDF 49KB]

Sub:
169.14
Date:
6 March 2009
Title:

Postmarking of postal votes [PDF 1.2MB]

Sub:
169.15
Date:
6 March 2009
Title:

AEC responses to JSCEM Hearings, meetings and correspondence [PDF 539KB]

Sub:
169.16
Date:
6 March 2009
Title:

Statement by the Australian Electoral Officer for NSW [PDF 31KB]

Sub:
169.17
Date:
6 March 2009
Title:

AEC responses to JSCEM Hearings, meetings and correspondence [PDF 1.1MB]

Sub:
169.18
Date:
6 March 2009
Title:

Supplementary submission [PDF 189KB]

Sub:
169.19
Date:
6 March 2009
Title:

Non-voting and multiple voting report [PDF 466KB]

Sub:
169.20
Date:
6 March 2009
Title:

Evidence of identity for enrolment and provisional voting [PDF 285KB]

Sub:
169.21
Date:
6 March 2009
Title:

AEC responses to Hearing of 11 May 2009 [PDF 89KB]

As at 1 November 2009, the JSCEM has tabled three reports.

On Monday 16 March 2009, the JSCEM tabled its Interim report on the inquiry into the Conduct of the 2007 Federal Election and Matters Related Thereto entitled "Report on the 2007 federal election electronic voting trials: Interim report of the inquiry into the conduct of the 2007 election and matters related thereto".

On Monday 22 June 2009, the JSCEM tabled its report entitled "Report on the conduct of the 2007 federal election and matters related thereto" and its report entitled "Advisory Report on the Commonwealth Electoral (Above-the-Line Voting) Amendment Bill 2008".

Copies of the three reports may be viewed on the Parliament of Australia website.

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Inquiry into the Conduct of the 2004 Federal Election

After every federal election, the Government provides the Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters (JSCEM) with a reference to inquire into the conduct of that election. The JSCEM, which consists of Members and Senators from all political parties, then advertises through its parliamentary secretariat in major national newspapers inviting written submissions from any interested persons. Public hearings are also held, mainly in Canberra, but sometimes in the major capital cities as well.

Sub:
74
Date:
March 2005
Title:

JSCEM Submission [PDF 494KB]

Sub:
165
Date:
June 2005
Title:

Supplementary to submission 74 [PDF 1.9MB]

Sub:
168
Date:
July 2005
Title:

Supplementary to submission 74 [PDF 1.9MB]

Sub:
172
Date:
July 2005
Title:

Supplementary to submission 74 [PDF 907KB]

Sub:
182
Date:
August 2005
Title:

Supplementary to submission 74 [PDF 485KB]

Sub:
205
Date:
August 2005
Title:

Supplementary to submission 74 [PDF 2MB]

Sub:
216
Date:
September 2005
Title:

Supplementary to submission 74 [PDF 3.7MB]

Sub:
221
Date:
September 2005
Title:

Supplementary to submission 74 [PDF 546KB]

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Inquiry into the Conduct of the 2001 Federal Election

Sub:
174
Date:
8 November 2002
Title:

Response to issue raised during the inquiry [PDF 1MB]

Sub:
166
Date:
October 2002
Title:

Additional Information Relating to AEC Funding [PDF 1MB]

Sub:
165
Date:
6 August 2002
Title:

Reports on Incidents of Possible Enrolment Fraud during the 29th Parliament [PDF 155KB]

Sub:
147
Date:
12 July 2002
Title:

Submission [PDF 852KB]

Sub:
147A
Date:
12 July 2002
Title:

Attachment 147A [PDF 56KB]

Sub:
147B
Date:
12 July 2002
Title:

Attachment 147B [PDF 129KB]

Sub:
147C
Date:
12 July 2002
Title:

Attachment 147C [PDF 157KB]

Sub:
147D
Date:
1 July 2002
Title:

Attachment 147D [PDF 505KB]

Sub:
147E
Date:
1 March 2001
Title:

Attachment 147E [PDF 516KB]

Sub:
147F
Date:
3 August 2001
Title:

Attachment 147F [PDF 219KB]

Sub:
147G
Date:
17 October 2000
Title:

Attachment 147G [PDF 326KB]

Sub:
147H
Date:
3 August 2001
Title:

Attachment 147H [PDF 226KB]

Sub:
147I
Date:
12 July 2002
Title:

Attachment 147I [PDF 49KB]

Sub:
203
Date:
2 June 2003
Title:

Multiple Voters & Other Matters [PDF 50KB]

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Inquiry into the Conduct of the 1998 Federal Election

After receiving a reference from the Government to inquire into and report on the conduct of the 1998 federal election, the JSCEM advertised for submissions on 23 January 1999, and received 261 submissions. Public hearings were held in Canberra, Brisbane, Darwin and Alice Springs.

The Australian Electoral Commission has made 11 formal written submissions to the JSCEM as listed below. The major submission has a number of attachments that cannot be formatted electronically and anyone interested in obtaining printed copy should contact the Secretary of the JSCEM at Parliament House in Canberra on 02 6277 2374.

Sub:
88
Date:
12 March 1999
Title:

The Conduct of the 1998 Federal Election [PDF 2.2MB]

Sub:
159
Date:
23 March 1999
Title:

The Admissibility of Provisional Votes [PDF 55KB]

Sub:
176
Date:
4 May 1999
Title:

AEC Responses to Other Submissions and Hearings [PDF 1.7MB]

Sub:
210
Date:
23 July 1999
Title:

Further AEC Responses to other Submissions & Hearings [PDF 1.2MB]

Sub:
232
Date:
28 September 1999
Title:

Petitions to the Court of Disputed Returns [PDF 480KB]

Sub:
238
Date:
15 October 1999
Title:

Second Preference How-to-Vote Cards [PDF 599KB]

Sub:
239
Date:
15 October 1999
Title:

Dual and Multiple Voting [PDF 4.9MB]

Sub:
243
Date:
12 October 1999
Title:

Response to Submission No 228 [PDF 34KB]

Sub:
245
Date:
18 November 1999
Title:

AEC Responses to Hearings of 19 October 1999 [PDF 253KB]

Sub:
257
Date:
3 May 2000
Title:

AEC Responses to JSCEM Inquiries of 17 April 2000 [PDF 282KB]

Sub:
258
Date:
31 May 2000
Title:

AEC Responses to Further JSCEM Inquiries [PDF 261KB]

The Report of the JSCEM inquiry into the conduct of the 1998 federal election, entitled "The 1998 Federal Election: Report of the Inquiry into the conduct of the 1998 Federal Election and matters related thereto", was tabled in Parliament on 26 June 2000. A copy may be obtained from Ausinfo or viewed on the Australian Parliament website.

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Inquiry into the Conduct of the 1996 Federal Election

After receiving a reference from the Government to inquire into and report on the conduct of the 1996 federal election, the JSCEM advertised for submissions on 22 June 1996, and over a period of a year, received some 135 written submissions, and held seven public hearings, in Canberra, Sydney and Brisbane.

The Australian Electoral Commission made 21 formal written submissions to the JSCEM as listed below. Some of these submissions have attachments that cannot be formatted electronically and anyone interested in obtaining printed copy should contact the JSCEM secretariat at Parliament House in Canberra on 02 6277 2374.

Sub:
30
Date:
29 July 1996
Title:

The Conduct of the 1996 Federal Election [PDF 261KB]

Sub:
77
Date:
30 August 1996
Title:

Advocacy of Optional Preferential Voting [PDF 382KB]

Sub:
78
Date:
30 August 1996
Title:

Advocacy of Optional Preferential Voting Court Decisions [PDF 23KB]

Sub:
79
Date:
30 August 1996
Title:

1996 House of Reps Informal Ballot Paper Survey [PDF 14KB]

Sub:
80
Date:
30 August 1996
Title:

1996 House of Reps Exhausted Ballot Paper Survey [PDF 14KB]

Sub:
84
Date:
16 September 1996
Title:

AEC Response to Hearings of 15 August 1996 [PDF 108KB]

Sub:
90
Date:
20 September 1996
Title:

AEC Response to Other JSCEM Subs in Vols 1–4 [PDF 51KB]

Sub:
95
Date:
23 October 1996
Title:

Court of Disputed Returns – Free Petition [PDF 53KB]

Sub:
96
Date:
23 October 1996
Title:

Court of Disputed Returns – Snowdon Petition [PDF 53KB]

Sub:
97
Date:
23 October 1996
Title:

Allegations of Electoral Fraud [PDF 233KB]

Sub:
98
Date:
23 October 1996
Title:

Enrolment and Voter Identification [PDF 783KB]

Sub:
99
Date:
24 October 1996
Title:

AEC Responses to JSCEM Hearings of 23 September [PDF 82KB]

Sub:
100
Date:
24 October 1996
Title:

AEC Responses to Patching Submissions [PDF 30KB]

Sub:
108
Date:
14 November 1996
Title:

AEC Responses to JSCEM Hearings of 25 October [PDF 259KB]

Sub:
109
Date:
14 November 1996
Title:

Implementation of Truth in Political Advertising [PDF 43KB]

Sub:
118
Date:
3 December 1996
Title:

AEC Responses to Hearings of 18 November [PDF 405KB]

Sub:
126
Date:
8 January 1997
Title:

The Naming of Electoral Divisions [PDF 119KB]

Sub:
128
Date:
24 January 1997
Title:

Computer Security [PDF 42KB]

Sub:
129
Date:
7 February 1997
Title:

Dual and Multiple Voting [PDF 875KB]

Sub:
133
Date:
10 March 1997
Title:

Voting Outside the Polling Place [PDF 48KB]

Sub:
135
Date:
7May 1997
Title:

AEC Responses to JSCEM Inquiries of 2 May 1997 [PDF 60KB]

The Report of the JSCEM inquiry into the conduct of the 1996 federal election, entitled "The 1996 Federal Election: report of the inquiry into the conduct of the 1996 federal election and matters related therto", was tabled in Parliament on 16 June 1997. A copy of this report can be viewed on the Australian Parliament website. The Government Response to this JSCEM report was tabled in Parliament on 8 April 1998 and copy may be obtained through the Hansard record.

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