Matters Concerning The Integrity Of The 2026 Census

Statement

SENATOR DEAN SMITH  SHADOW ASSISTANT MINISTER TO THE SHADOW TREASURER  SHADOW ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR THE COST OF LIVING  LIBERAL SENATOR FOR WESTERN AUSTRALIA 7 August 2026  Matters Concerning The Integrity Of The 2026 Census The Coalition has called for the integrity of the 2026 Census to be protected from organised advocacy campaigns, writing to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) following reports that campaign groups are encouraging Australians to answer the religion question in a particular way.  The Australian Census is one of the nation’s most important statistical exercises.   Its credibility depends on Australians providing accurate responses that reflect their own circumstances, free from organised campaigns seeking to influence how particular questions are answered.  According to recent reporting, the Rationalist Society of Australia, the National Secular Lobby and associated organisations have developed and distributed an online questionnaire that recommends participants either record “No religion” or select another category when completing the Census.   The questionnaire invites participants to consider factors such as attendance at religious services, prayer and views on contemporary social issues before recommending how they should answer the religion question.  Coalition Senators have consistently used Senate Estimates to scrutinise preparations for the 2026 Census, including consultation on the religion question, testing of alternative approaches and confirmation that responsibility for determining the wording and structure of Census questions rests with the Australian Statistician.  Given the importance of maintaining public confidence in the integrity and independence of the Census, the Coalition wrote to the ABS on Wednesday, 5 August 2026 expressing concern that organised campaigns encouraging Australians to answer Census questions in a particular way have the potential to compromise the integrity of Census data and undermine confidence in its results.   The Coalition has sought advice from the ABS on the following matters:  Is the ABS aware of the “Census – Not religious? Mark no religion” campaign and the questionnaire currently being circulated by the Rationalist Society of Australia, the National Secular Lobby and associated organisations?  Does the ABS consider it appropriate for advocacy organisations to conduct campaigns that encourage or recommend particular responses to Census questions and, if not, what concerns does the ABS have about such campaigns?  Has the ABS assessed whether campaigns of this nature have the potential to influence responses, undermine the accuracy or integrity of Census data, or diminish public confidence in the Census?  What representations, concerns or complaints has the ABS received regarding this campaign or similar campaigns, and what action, if any, has the ABS taken in response?  Has the ABS engaged with the organisations conducting this campaign, or any other stakeholders, regarding its potential impact on the integrity of the Census?  Does the ABS intend to issue any public guidance reminding Australians that Census responses should reflect their own circumstances and beliefs, rather than recommendations made by third-party advocacy groups?  Has the ABS raised this issue with the Australian Government or the responsible Minister, or sought additional legislative powers or other measures to better protect the integrity, credibility and independence of the Census from organised attempts to influence responses?  More broadly, what policies, protocols or safeguards does the ABS have in place to respond to organised campaigns by advocacy groups that seek to influence how Australians answer Census questions, regardless of the issue or viewpoint being advanced?  On Thursday, 6 August 2026, the ABS issued a public statement reminding Australians to answer the religion question according to their own beliefs.  The ABS has advised it will provide a written response to questions raised by the Coalition before Tuesday, 11 August 2026.  The Census underpins decisions on public policy, service delivery, infrastructure planning and the allocation of resources across Australia.   Maintaining public confidence that Census data reflects Australians’ genuine responses, rather than responses shaped by organised advocacy campaigns, is essential to preserving the credibility, integrity and value of one of Australia’s most important national statistical collections.  ENDS 

GST Commission Must Come West And Hear From WA

Statement

SENATOR DEAN SMITH  SHADOW ASSISTANT MINISTER TO THE SHADOW TREASURER  SHADOW ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR THE COST OF LIVING  LIBERAL SENATOR FOR WESTERN AUSTRALIA GST Commission Must Come West And Hear From WA 7 August 2026  Western Australian Liberal Senator Dean Smith has written to the Productivity Commission demanding it hold public hearings in Perth and Port Hedland as part of its inquiry into the 2018 GST distribution reforms.  The Productivity Commission will release its interim report on 14 August, before receiving post-draft submissions and conducting public hearings ahead of its final report.  Few issues in Commonwealth–State financial relations have been more important to Western Australia than securing a fair share of GST revenue.  The 2018 reforms were a significant and hard-won correction to a system that had seen Western Australia’s GST share fall to historically low levels and provided an important safeguard against the State again receiving an unacceptably low share.  Before Western Australia’s GST relativity began its extraordinary decline, no State had ever fallen below 83 cents in the dollar – the previous low being New South Wales in 2004-05.  Against that historical benchmark, the 75-cent GST floor applying to Western Australia is not excessive or preferential, but a justified safeguard against the extreme outcomes experienced by the State under the previous system.  The importance of the reforms to Western Australia is reflected in the breadth of submissions to the current inquiry.  Submissions have been made by the WA Government, WA State Opposition, Association of Mining and Exploration Companies, Chamber of Commerce and Industry WA and Chamber of Minerals and Energy of Western Australia.  Former WA Premier Colin Barnett and former federal Finance Minister Mathias Cormann have also made submissions, bringing considerable experience of the GST debate and its consequences for Western Australia.  Senator Smith’s letter demands that Perth  and Port Hedland be included among the locations for the Commission’s public hearings.  A Perth hearing would allow the State Government and Opposition, industry organisations, economic and policy experts and other Western Australians to respond directly to the Commission’s interim findings.  A Port Hedland hearing would take the inquiry to the heart of one of Australia’s most important economic regions and allow Commissioners to hear directly from resource companies, explorers, contractors, local businesses, local governments and Pilbara communities.  It would also give the Commission the opportunity to see firsthand the scale of investment and infrastructure underpinning Western Australia’s contribution to national export earnings and government revenues.  Post-draft submissions to the inquiry will close on 30 September 2026.  Quotes attributable to Senator Dean Smith:  “Western Australians experienced firsthand the consequences of an unfair GST distribution, and we cannot allow our State to return to the days when we received an unacceptably low share of our own GST.”  “The strength of WA participation in this inquiry—from the State Government and Opposition to our peak business and resources organisations, former Premier Colin Barnett and former Australian Finance Minister Mathias Cormann—shows the enduring importance of the GST reforms to Western Australia.”  “Perth must be included in the Productivity Commission’s public hearings, but there is an equally compelling case for the Commission to travel to Port Hedland.”  “The Pilbara is not just an economic powerhouse for Western Australia—it is an economic powerhouse for the nation, generating an extraordinary share of Australia’s export income and supporting economic activity across the country.”  “Commissioners should come to Port Hedland, see that contribution firsthand and hear directly from the businesses, workers and communities that help generate Australia’s prosperity.”  “A fair GST system must recognise and preserve the incentive for States like Western Australia to develop their resources, attract investment and grow the national economy.”  “The future of GST distribution should not be determined from Canberra and the eastern States alone. Western Australians have an enormous stake in this debate and deserve a meaningful opportunity to be heard before the Commission reaches its final conclusions.”  ENDS