Census marketing fails but answers must be provided

Grandstanding by senators over privacy is irresponsible.

The campaign material for the 2016 census tells us this is “our moment to pause and make a difference”, but it seems the Australian Bureau of Statistics has done too much pausing and hasn’t made enough of a difference. The communications campaign around the census clearly has failed.

Too many people have been taken by surprise and changes to the way the national survey is conducted sparked privacy concerns on the eve of the census. Even though previous censuses have sought names and addresses, resistance to supplying names has emerged this year partly prompted by a new ruling to hold such details for up to four years. The doubts about data security have been inflamed by prominent senators Nick Xenophon, Sarah Hanson-Young, Jacqui Lambie and Scott Ludlam, who are pledging to withhold their names from the census, placing them at risk of a $180 fine for every day of noncompliance.

This is irresponsible grandstanding from politicians who should know better. As the ABS campaign reminds us, census participation is compulsory: “Remember, every household must participate.” So the senators are setting an example of civil disobedience that can only damage the data collection and exacerbate ill-founded public fears about privacy. Their posturing is especially transparent given their salaries and financial interests are on the public record, along with their views on everything from religion and sexual preference to economics and education policies. What would it be that senators Ludlam, Xenophon, Hanson-Young and Lambie believe big government is yearning to know about them? Their proficiency in the English language? They are being silly and ought to recant and urge full compliance by all. So should former NSW deputy privacy commissioner Anna Johnston, who swapped privacy for publicity by declaring her intention to boycott the survey to prevent any matching of her data against other government records.

ABS surveys previously have been effective and data has been used discreetly to inform decision-making. When resources are scarce, the economy is in transition and our social fabric continues to evolve, it is crucial for government authorities to have detailed information on which to plan, map and shape our future needs. The two previous census collections included online options; the main change this time is to switch primarily to online, providing added convenience for the public and saving taxpayers $100 million. Paper forms are available on request.

Distracted though it was by an election, the Coalition should have done more to ensure the public was aware of the impending census and was reassured about the changes. Instead, the census has become an example of the poor advocacy for which the Turnbull government is developing a reputation. Australians must rise above this ambivalence and scaremongering from senators, activists and anarchists. If we haven’t done so already, we all should complete the census and ensure we provide this and future governments with the accurate data on which to base what we hope might be wise decisions.