Newly-elected federal Labor MP Steve Georganas has expressed deep concerns over the communications strategy employed by the Australian Bureau of Statistics for Tuesday’s census – after finding scores of elderly people from Greek and other ethnic communities in his electorate are either unaware of it, or deeply concerned over how to complete it.
Speaking to Neos Kosmos, Mr Georganas said: “In my electorate, which has a high proportion of elderly people with a variety of ethnic backgrounds, I’ve seen real problems in recent days.
“An elderly Greek couple I visited had no idea the census was even taking place, while others told me about their frustrations over trying to access the telephone helpline. The system for communicating with these people has fallen down, and it’s worrying.”
Joining the chorus of criticism voiced in recent days, Mr Georganas said uncertainty over fines for not completing the census was also concerning his constituents.
“I’m recommending to people to record all their efforts, including attempted phone calls, in case they find themselves in a position where – through no fault of their own – they are deemed by the ABS to have not completed the census in time or adequately.”
With the ABS expecting 65 per cent of people to complete the census online, saving taxpayers a reported $100 million (compared to the census cost in 2011), the drive to utilise the internet – without enough support to help less digital-savvy Australians to use the online form – could mean ethnic groups in particular could find themselves under-represented in the final census findings.
Despite the ABS consulting ethnic community associations, as the clock ticks to Tuesday, a host of problems have appeared, with over-subscribed helplines leaving callers unable to access information.
As reported by the AAP, the Combined Pensioners and Superannuants Association (CPSA) says elderly people are scared they’ll be fined $180 a day if they don’t receive their paper forms and return them on time, after Tuesday.
“This is an entirely predictable mess, resulting from a savings-driven rush into making online completion of the census form the default method of completion,” CPSA policy co-ordinator Paul Versteege told AAP reporter Helen Velissaris.
Senator Nick Xenophon on Wednesday called for the census to be postponed due to the confusion.
“The census is meant to provide accurate information on which good policies are based, but right now it seems to be headed for a debacle,” he told reporters.
“The unintended main statistic from this census might be the huge number of Australians who can’t complete it through no fault of their own.”
Meanwhile, Small Business Minister Michael McCormack, the minister responsible for the census, reiterated that there was a significant grace period – until September 23 – for completion of the census on paper or online, and that fines would only be issued to people unwilling to participate.