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