#CENSUSfail: so there was this little survey....

On 21 September 2016 The Sydney Morning Herald reported:

Almost 95 per cent of households have completed a census form despite an embarrassing website outage on census night and lingering political controversy over the national headcount.

The Bureau of Statistics says it already has sufficient data for a "high quality" census, ahead of the deadline for forms on Friday.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) also tries to pretend that refusal to complete the census form is the only civil disobedience it has to contend with when collating household responses.

However a little survey which was included in one submission to the Senate Economics References Committee Inquiry into the 2016 Census indicates that the ABS may have other problems with reliability of the data it can subtract from some Census questions.

The possibility that false information has become a significant factor in Census data sets is buttressed by previous findings in the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) Community Attitudes to Privacy Survey Research Report 2013.

Responses of the 1,000 participants in the OAIC combination fixed line/mobile 'phone privacy survey resulted these percentages:

More concerned about providing personal information electronically or online than were 5 years ago – 67%

Concerned about possibility of becoming victim of identity theft or fraud in the next year – 69%

Provided false personal details when completing online forms – 31%

Provided false name when completing online forms – 30%

Refused to deal with government agency/public sector organisation due privacy concerns - 23% 

At some time have refused to supply personal information – 90%.

Excerpt from that little submission to the current Senate inquiry:

---

Q4 If you did fill out the 2016 Census, did you include your real name and address?

This question was required and had 3 answer options from which respondents could choose only one: Yes, No and other.

A substantial majority (74%) of respondents either did not fill out the census form at all or responded in ways intended to frustrate efforts to share their information in ways that could identify them as individuals, match their census data to other data or track their census data from one census to the next. The commonly found terms below are not mutually exclusive of one another.

This high number of people who have chosen not to complete the census or refused specific questions/ removed identifying information is directly relevant to the Inquiry Terms of Reference seeking feedback on impacts on data quality for the 2016 census.

blank false undisclosed persona name pencil postcode address necessary initials trackvariation

Click on the commonly used terms to explore responses or click here to display all responses alphabetically

54 comments provided under 'other'

9/1/2016 8:06 PM : address only.

8/30/2016 8:17 PM : Blank address- name The Householder

9/3/2016 2:05 PM : census not done. Not going to be done either

8/30/2016 11:44 PM : completed address- left names blank

9/2/2016 6:49 AM : created a new persona for street address

9/1/2016 5:19 PM : Current address was already on the form- provided suburb and postcode for other addresses.

9/1/2016 7:10 PM : False name

9/4/2016 11:04 AM : False name- address- and some personal details. Only what I consider relevant to stastical analysis was completed approximately accurately.

9/1/2016 9:25 PM : false name- correct address

9/1/2016 5:38 PM : Filled in address but gave name as UNDISCLOSED

9/1/2016 6:53 PM : First name only. Make the computer work that little bit harder.

8/30/2016 6:35 PM : Gave correct address- no name

8/30/2016 7:08 PM : Gave first name- not last

9/3/2016 5:04 PM : I cut out NAD and identifying bar codres before returning the form

9/3/2016 10:59 AM : I did- but am unhappy about having to do so under threat of a fine

9/2/2016 5:48 PM : I didn't put my real name

8/30/2016 8:17 PM : I do not intend to use my name or address

9/3/2016 7:07 PM : I included a false name for privacy and security reasons.

9/1/2016 8:42 PM : I included it in the palest of blue coloured pencil- so it could not be scanned but required dedicated effort AND inckuded cover letter saying it was complted under duress asnd in great anger at them compromising such an important process.

9/1/2016 6:25 PM : I intend to leave name and address blank

8/30/2016 10:03 PM : I intend to leave name- all addresses (both current and past)- and age blank- to frustrate creation of an SLK or any possible link to past census data

9/3/2016 2:04 PM : I left name blank but the address was already printed on the form

9/1/2016 5:49 PM : I made a statement of objection but I gave Postcode.

9/7/2016 9:09 AM : I made my address suburb only with previous addresses

8/30/2016 7:33 PM : I provided a false name but address and other details were true

8/30/2016 5:05 PM : I put in my postcode and suburb only.

9/2/2016 11:50 AM : I put not necessary for purpose of Census data

9/3/2016 1:54 AM : I redacted identifying information and competed the data section truthfully

9/1/2016 9:15 PM : I used a false name but real address. [This should be a category]

9/6/2016 9:55 PM : i will be using a false name

9/8/2016 5:08 PM : I will do it but am unhappy about it and have no wish to take it seriously again. I think the info will be used for any purpose the govt wants and fear lack of security.

9/1/2016 4:07 PM : I will fill in the Census form when asked to in writing by the Chief Statistician. When I fill it in- I will omit my name and address details.

9/2/2016 11:35 AM : I will leave blank space for my name on the paper form.

9/3/2016 1:12 PM : I will not fill in the form if this is required.

8/30/2016 8:02 PM : I would never provide my name. The ABS is only authorised to hold statistical dat!

9/3/2016 3:45 PM : I'll use false name if/when I do it

8/30/2016 7:08 PM : If I complete the paper form- I will be leaving off my name and address. Still debating whether to do this or boycott.

8/30/2016 7:49 PM : if instructed by chief ABS to complete form- I will not include my name and add

9/1/2016 6:04 PM : Just address as it was printed on the form won't get names though as I feel names make the census a data trawling tool.

9/3/2016 7:27 AM : Misrepresentation of the depth of data linkage-cross referencing and retention

8/30/2016 6:56 PM : No name. Correct address

9/1/2016 6:29 PM : Not in Aus

9/2/2016 8:11 AM : Put initials

8/30/2016 8:20 PM : Real address but a blank name

9/1/2016 5:18 PM : Real address- as it was printed on the paper- fake names.

8/30/2016 6:05 PM : Removed all tracking items on form

9/1/2016 5:30 PM : silent voter ...omitted name

9/1/2016 5:57 PM : Tossed up + in the end did a variation

9/7/2016 5:32 PM : Used a very runny ink from a fountain pen which might 'accidently' smear

9/1/2016 9:21 PM : used married name- which I don't use in real life

9/1/2016 6:21 PM : Yes I did- but reluctantly!!

8/30/2016 6:58 PM : yes- but i didn't really want to

8/31/2016 10:36 PM: Names and DOB blank

9/10/2016 2:44 PM : Stated suburb-postcode-age and gender.

Australian Education Minister out to bully the states under the guise of fixing Gonski education funding model?

On 23 September 2016 ABC News reported:

Federal Education Minister Simon Birmingham says he is not expecting to broker a final deal on the highly-charged school funding debate as he meets state and territory counterparts in Adelaide today.

Senator Birmingham yesterday attacked the Gonski funding model, which expires at the end of the next school year, saying it had been "corrupted" by a patchwork of individual deals with state governments.

"The Turnbull Government is determined to right this corruption," Senator Birmingham told the ABC's AM yesterday, vowing to "replace the special deals that Bill Shorten cobbled together ... with a new, simpler distribution model where special deals don't distort a fair distribution of federal funds".

Changes to the funding model involve altering federal legislation, and it is anticipated that the Commonwealth can make the changes without the agreement of the states.

When asked if he would push ahead with changes without state support, Senator Birmingham responded that he was "not looking for a result today".

"I'm looking for informed feedback and information from the states and territories," he said.

Another education ministers' meeting is scheduled for this year ahead of COAG discussions early next year. The funding changes are not expected to the finalised until after those consultations.

Senator Birmingham said he is expecting "robust discussion" from the education ministers, some of whom have said they were blindsided by the Senator's remarks.

South Australian Education Minister Susan Close said the first she knew of analysis of the Gonski model given to the media was when she heard Senator Birmingham on the ABC.

"It's extremely discourteous," she told AM this morning.

"We've had no paper presented to us and all we are left with is trying to glean what the proposition is by listening to programs such as yours.

"It seems what he's saying is just a recasting of 'we're not going to give you the money we know you need'."

The analysis highlighted disparity in per-student funding between the states thanks to a "patchwork" of 27 deals signed under the Gonski model.

But Ms Close told AM the Gonski model never envisaged full parity between states until its sixth year in 2020.

"The view that's being put forward through this study that somehow the disparity that occurs in the transition period is a reason to stop doing it at all is a view that will be firmly rebutted by all ministers," she said.

While waiting on the outcome of this “robust discussion” it is well to remember that, given the obvious pro-private schools bias displayed by Coalition federal governments, it is highly unlikely that the Turnbull Government intends to remedy this…….

Graph taken from http://www.smh.com.au/national/education/government-funding-for-private-schools-to-outstrip-average-public-schools-by-2020-20150714-gicdjt.html

Synopsis in Bonner & Shepherd’s Private school, public cost: How school funding is closing the wrong gaps 2015 report:

Recent trends in school recurrent funding strongly suggest that over forty per cent of students in Catholic schools next year will average as much, if not more, public funding than their peers in similar government schools. Two years further on an additional forty per cent will most likely join them. Half the students in Independent schools are on track to get as much, if not more, than government school students by the end of the decade.

This finding emerges as one of the most significant to date from our analysis of My School data. We have previously shown that changes in school funding in recent years – increasingly favouring students who are already advantaged - has done little for student achievement and nothing for equity. Earlier this year we pointed to a $3 billion overinvestment in better-off students, without any measurable gain in their achievement. Now we find that state and federal governments, within four years, will be funding the vast majority of private school students at levels higher than students in similar government schools. Concerns about funding equity should now be joined by concerns about effectiveness and efficiency in how we provide and fund schools.

The apparent runaway public funding of private schools is a legacy of discredited sector-based funding which the half-hearted implementation of the Gonski recommendations hasn’t really touched - and which current school funding schemes and dreams will almost certainly worsen. While Gonski pointed to the need to close the gaps in student achievement, the only gap being closed is that between government funding of its own schools and its funding of the schools that are considered to be "private". Private schools are about to operate at a far more substantial, and previously unimaginable, public cost.

In this report we illustrate how funding has changed and how familiar claims about the relative cost of schools have become obsolete and misleading. We address questions which arise about our schools: what is public, what is private, what should be the difference between them, what obligations do and should fully-funded schools have to the public which pays to run them? Such questions have to be answered if schooling is to provide access and equity combined with effectiveness and efficiency.

The Guardian on 23 September 2016 reported that Senator Birmingham’s NSW counterpart, Adrian Piccoli, is well aware of what his own party at federal level is intending:

The New South Wales education minister, Adrian Piccoli, has warned he will publish full results of commonwealth funding cuts in new school agreements which he says would increase funding to some of the most expensive private schools while cutting funds to public schools.

“We will be making it very clear which schools will win out of any new funding model and which schools are going to lose,” Piccoli told the ABC.

“And what they are proposing is public schools are going to lose money in NSW but continuing to index some of the most expensive private schools in Sydney and across Australia by 3%. That means expensive private schools go up a minimum of 3%.”

ACCC to rule on News Corp's planned purchase of APN News & Media regional print and online newspapers by 29 September 2016

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) is currently  investigating the proposed acquisition of APN News & Media Limited (APN)'s Australian Regional Media division (ARM) by News Corporation (News) – with the aim of establishing what if any the impact of the proposed acquisition will have on on competition, and whether it will: lower the quality of content, especially local news content; reduce the choices available to readers for local news content; increase newspaper prices and/or increase the price of advertising, especially in newspapers in Queensland and northern New South Wales.

As to lowering the quality of content, especially local news content or reducing the choices available to readers for local news content – well that horse was out the stable door in a flash once Murdoch had acquired the largest single shareholding in APN News & Media.

This will be the extent of News Corp’s print and online stable once the ACCC signs off on this $36.6 million sale:

The acquirer – News Corporation

News Corporation (News) is a global diversified media and information services company with businesses in news and information services, digital real estate services, book publishing, digital education and, through its investment in Foxtel Management Pty Limited, subscription television.

 In Australia, News, through various indirect, wholly owned subsidiaries, publishes a number of state, regional and community newspapers as well as The Australian.

It also publishes various websites associated with its newspapers as well as news.com.au. News publishes the following paid print newspapers in Queensland and northern NSW:

· The Courier Mail, published daily Monday to Saturday, while the Sunday Mail is published on Sunday

· Gold Coast Bulletin, published daily Monday to Saturday

· Townsville Bulletin, published daily Monday to Saturday

· Cairns Post, published daily Monday to Saturday (published as the Weekend Post on Saturdays)

News also publishes the following community newspapers:

· through Quest Community Newspapers, 13 free community newspapers circulating in various parts of greater Brisbane as well as Brisbane News, a glossy free magazine distributed to inner city Brisbane. The 13 free community newspapers are:

o Albert and Logan News o Caboolture Herald o Pine Rivers Press/North Lakes Times

o Redcliffe & Bayside Herald

o City North News o North-West News

o Northside Chronicle

o Westside News

o South-West News/Springfield News

o City South News

o South East Advertiser o Southern Star

o Wynnum Herald

· through Sun Community Newspapers, the free newspaper The Gold Coast Sun, in four localised editions:

o Gold Coast Sun Upper North

o Gold Coast Sun North o Gold Coast Sun Central

o Gold Coast Sun Tweed / Southern 4

· a number of small community publications circulating in Cairns and surrounds including The Tablelands Advertiser, The Tablelander, Innisfail Advocate and the Port Douglas & Mossman Gazette

· the Bowen Independent, a paid newspaper published twice a week, and a number of other small community publications in Townsville and surrounds including The Herbert River Express, The Northern Miner and The Burdekin Advocate. News also publishes the Weekly Times, a paid newspaper distributed predominantly in rural Victoria and the Riverina region. A small number of copies are also distributed in Queensland and NSW.

News also publishes or has an interest in a range of online publications including the following:

· News.com.au

· Carsguide.com.au (48.95% interest)

· Realestate.com.au (majority interest)

· Careerone.com.au (25% interest)

News, through a wholly-owned subsidiary, also has a 14.99% interest in APN......

The target business – ARM

The target business – ARM The ARM business comprises:

· 12 paid daily, 14 paid non-daily and 32 free non-daily, community newspapers circulating in various parts of south-east and regional Queensland and northern NSW

· 14 specialist print newspapers including 'seniors', 'agriculture' and 'big rigs' titles · 4 specialist business-to-business magazines for the education and health care sectors

· 60 websites including masthead websites, websites for the specialist print newspaper titles, other websites not linked to a print title and classifieds website finda.com.au

· printing facilities located in Yandina, Warwick and Rockhampton in Queensland. A full list of ARM’s print publications is set out below:

North Queensland (Mackay region)

· Daily Mercury

· The Midweek 5

· Whitsunday Times

· Whitsunday Coast Guardian Central Queensland

· The Morning Bulletin

· The Observer

· Capricorn Coast Mirror

· Central Telegraph

· Central Queensland News Wide Bay Burnett

· NewsMail

· Fraser Coast Chronicle

· The Gympie Times

· Guardian

· Isis Town & Country

· Central & North Burnett Times

· Hervey Bay Observer

· The Maryborough Herald

· Cooloola Advertiser

· Hervey Bay Independent

South-East Queensland - Sunshine Coast

· Sunshine Coast Daily

· Sunshine Coast Sunday

· Noosa News

· Coolum & North Shore News

· Maroochy Weekly

· Kawana Weekly

· Caloundra Weekly

· Nambour Weekly

· Buderim Chronicle South-East Queensland (Greater Brisbane and Ipswich)

· Caboolture News

· Bribie Weekly

· The Logan Reporter

· The Satellite

· Bayside Northern Suburbs Star

· The Queensland Times

· The Ipswich Advertiser South-West Queensland

· Warwick Daily News

· The Chronicle

· Stanthorpe Border Post

· Dalby Herald

· Gatton, Lockyer and Brisbane Valley Star

· Laidley Plainland Leader

· South Burnett Times

· Southern Downs Weekly 6

· Balonne Beacon

· The Western Star

· Western Times

· Chinchilla News and Murilla Advertiser

Northern NSW (Gold Coast, Tweed and northern NSW)

· Tweed Daily News

· Tweed Daily News – Community Edition

· The Northern Star

· The Daily Examiner

· The Woolgoolga Advertiser

· Byron Shire News

· Ballina Shire Advocate

· Lismore Echo

· The Richmond River Express Examiner

· Coastal Views

· The Coffs Coast Advocate

Specialist publications

· Surat Basin News

· Rural Weekly (five editions, including a Northern Territory edition)

· Big Rigs

· CQ Industry

· Style Magazine

· Seniors Newspaper (eight different editions distributed in South-East Queensland and NSW)

· APN Educational Media publications (business-to-business publisher of Education Review, Nursing Review, Aged Care Insite and Campus Review