Australian Census 2021

[Pushka]

For those who care about their religious beliefs being classified correctly, and particularly if you don't have religious beliefs, there are two possible answers - No Religion, and Atheism. I believe they're in different questions (I didn't include Agnosticism, though maybe that's remiss of me).

Be aware that No Religion is coded differently for the statistics than Atheism is. They are not statistically the same, and the answers of Atheism I understand will be grouped under "Other Spiritual beliefs" rather than "No Religious Affiliation".

If this distinction is important to you, and how your answer might be aggregated in the understanding of what percentage of the Australian population follow a religious or spiritual belief, then consider your response.

I put other (or the last option, whatever that was labelled) and expected I'd have to state what, but not required.

 

[TheRealTMA]

For those who care about their religious beliefs being classified correctly, and particularly if you don't have religious beliefs, there are two possible answers - No Religion, and Atheism. I believe they're in different questions (I didn't include Agnosticism, though maybe that's remiss of me).

Be aware that No Religion is coded differently for the statistics than Atheism is. They are not statistically the same, and the answers of Atheism I understand will be grouped under "Other Spiritual beliefs" rather than "No Religious Affiliation".

If this distinction is important to you, and how your answer might be aggregated in the understanding of what percentage of the Australian population follow a religious or spiritual belief, then consider your response.

That's the problem with us all being a Jedi Knights. It's classified as "other" not no religion!

 

[Lynda2475]

For those who care about their religious beliefs being classified correctly, and particularly if you don't have religious beliefs, there are two possible answers - No Religion, and Atheism. I believe they're in different questions (I didn't include Agnosticism, though maybe that's remiss of me).

Be aware that No Religion is coded differently for the statistics than Atheism is. They are not statistically the same, and the answers of Atheism I understand will be grouped under "Other Spiritual beliefs" rather than "No Religious Affiliation".

If this distinction is important to you, and how your answer might be aggregated in the understanding of what percentage of the Australian population follow a religious or spiritual belief, then consider your response.

And this shows a complete lack of understanding from the census designers as to what an athiest is.

Atheism is not a religion, so should never be classified as such, they dont belong to an organised group and their reasons for being an athiest differ widely. As they do not come from a common cohort, with common belief system so not a religion.

No religion category comprises 3 broad groups (and atheism should just be a subgroup of this cohort):

1. Athiests do not belive in a mythical "god" or higher power.
2. Agnostics are unsure if there is a god or higher power.
3. Others who belive in something but do not suscribe to any organised religion.

The addition of Athiest would appear to be new (at least I dont recall seeing it before) and it is apalling the govt trying to classify it as a spiritual belief when a key tennant of Atheism is to reject the spiritual in all its forms.

 

[RooFlyer]

Many of the employment questions do only reference last week:

Whoa! Those goal posts just skipped away again. The one on religon doesn't mention any time frame. So what?

Why ask for usual income and not usual/last occupation? The questions are not nuanced enough.

Notwithstanding that the purposes of the questions vary and not necessarily related, I would have thought that it would be obvious, that for the thing to be understood by an acceptable number of people (including things like English second or third language, lower literacy etc) it had to be pitched at a pretty high level. 'Nuancing' would just make it complicated and unweildy for its purpose.

Honestly, I apologise for being direct, but you seem to have no understanding at all about what a census is, why its conducted, how the data is utilised and for what purposes, and ...

Any government department ignoring ATO data and soley trusting census income declarations does us all a great disservice.

... seeming no idea about the laws of the land in respect of sharing ATO information, Dept of Census data collection and other government departments' ability to swap information that have collected between other government agencies.

Also that the census asks about income etc of 'Person 1', 'Person 2' etc at a particular residence/place where they are at the time. How exactly would you propose any agency integrate tax information, for instance (even if they could get around the laws about sharing data), where addresses are frequently those of their accountant (mine is in Sydney), where one set is nameless and the other is spread all over the place? Again, have a read of the purpose of the income question. It's a proxy for living standards in various areas. The purpose of questions aren't all the same.

But by all means, on Q38, write your name and TFN there to make it easier for the ABS people.

Given all this, although in all the years I have been here, I have never blocked anyone on AFF, notwithstanding my strong disagreement with some - I've always believed discussion and debate will best demonstrate a point - I think that time has come.

 

[Lynda2475]

seeming no idea about the laws of the land in respect of sharing ATO information, Dept of Census data collection and other government departments' ability to swap information that have collected between other government agencies.

And you are ignorant of the fact that depersonalised ATO data is shared (even outside the government) I've utilised it myself in a past job.

The census can be useful for age distribution, but the income insights from census pale in comparison to other sources (which are not reliant on the honesty system).

It's a proxy for living standards in various areas

Just not a very good one imo. Removing the internet question means they have no insight to how equiped people are to WFH or Study from home - a huge indicator of being able to keep standard of living.

But by all means, on Q38, write your name and TFN there to make it easier for the ABS people.

I dont need to employ hyperbole and sarcasm (like you just did), I am stating my opinion as I am entitled to do, you are getting unecessarily exasperated when I disgaree with you. You feel the need to denigrate differing views as a lack of understanding, instead of being willing to accept the many shortcomings of a census which hasnt sufficiently evolved over time.

The question is imo flawed and as such I will be providing $0, what I earned last year has had zero bearing on my living standards, covid restrictions have had a much larger impact (but no questions about that).

 

[jb747]

Is there a box for Zoroastrianism?

 

[drron]

I state my religion now as Shinto.Able to have any other religion I likes well.

 

[RooFlyer]

Is there a box for Zoroastrianism?

You'd be on fire!

 

[jakeseven7]

I wish people understood how much census data is used in policy decisions New bus routes, health services, housing approvals, electoral boundaries, electricity prices, flight paths. It intersects with every decision . Take it lightly at your detriment.

Yes and great that practice of religion is dropping as well means all ‘charity’ religion will find it harder to get funding boo hoo.
So call your religion Jedi knight if you want

 

[cove]

We had multiple Census 2021 forms to file and tonight they are all done slightly ahead of the due date.

 

[serfty]

A Facebook reminder from 4 years ago popped up reminding me of a post I'd made about the 2016 debacle.

No time like the present - so it's done.

 

[RooFlyer]

We had multiple Census 2021 forms to file

Not sure how that happens unless you have more than 6 under your roof tonight?

 

[Seat0B]

Done. I was surprised at the lack of any follow up questions at all after the broad military service question. Did not ask which branch, full time or reservist, period of service - nothing. Anyway, just my 2c worth.

 

[Pushka]

Not sure how that happens unless you have more than 6 under your roof tonight?

We had two. One in a beach shack and one for where we live. I don't remember having to fill in both last time. The beach shack had an actual form delivered to it.

 

[RooFlyer]

We had two. One in a beach shack and one for where we live. I don't remember having to fill in both last time. The beach shack had an actual form delivered to it.

But you don't fill in the form for the place you are not at on census night. If someone else is there, they fill in the form, but there are a lot of places that have forms delivered with no-one in them.

 

[Pushka]

But you don't fill in the form for the place you are not at on census night. If someone else is there, they fill in the form, but there are a lot of places that have forms delivered with no-one in them.

Yes you are required to as the registered owner. You enter the address (we didn't bring the form home so didn't have the number of the form) and then it asks how many people staying there, answering 0 means that a multi choice question pops up with options like 'holiday home' etc. Selecting that option then closes the survey and you are given a receipt number.

 

[HappyFlyerFamily]

Yes you are required to as the registered owner. You enter the address (we didn't bring the form home so didn't have the number of the form) and then it asks how many people staying there, answering 0 means that a multi choice question pops up with options like 'holiday home' etc. Selecting that option then closes the survey and you are given a receipt number.

Those who hadn't done a Census for their empty holiday homes or investment properties better get a wriggle on lol

 

[RooFlyer]

Yes you are required to as the registered owner. You enter the address (we didn't bring the form home so didn't have the number of the form) and then it asks how many people staying there, answering 0 means that a multi choice question pops up with options like 'holiday home' etc. Selecting that option then closes the survey and you are given a receipt number.

Oh, I didn't know that. I had a holiday place until recently and never filled out a form for it. Dunno if a form was even delivered to it.

As the holiday house form is filled in as a 'null result', that makes sense. In my area, which has a lot of shacks, I think the census people go back and collect the forms they've left and I guess also record 'no one home'. I can't remember - does the form ask for your 'usual address' as well as 'tonight's address'? Many people around me also away in QLD for the winter.

 

[Pushka]

Oh, I didn't know that. I had a holiday place until recently and never filled out a form for it. Dunno if a form was even delivered to it.

As the holiday house form is filled in as a 'null result', that makes sense. In my area, which has a lot of shacks, I think the census people go back and collect the forms they've left and I guess also record 'no one home'. I can't remember - does the form ask for your 'usual address' as well as 'tonight's address'? Many people around me also away in QLD for the winter.

I think it must be new. We didn't receive a form at the place last time. Didn't ask for usual address. But the key to tracking is in the name of the owner. I suspect the collector will receive advice that the form has been electronically lodged or that info will be plugged in before any fines etc. The place doesn't exactly look like it's inhabited on a permanent basis.

Those who hadn't done a Census for their empty holiday homes or investment properties better get a wriggle on lol

Gave me a start. Rented out places will likely have the renter person completing it but if that person didn't bother doing it, I wonder what happens then?

 

[HappyFlyerFamily]

I think it must be new. We didn't receive a form at the place last time. Didn't ask for usual address. But the key to tracking is in the name of the owner. I suspect the collector will receive advice that the form has been electronically lodged or that info will be plugged in before any fines etc. The place doesn't exactly look like it's inhabited on a permanent basis.


Gave me a start. Rented out places will likely have the renter person completing it but if that person didn't bother doing it, I wonder what happens then?

If the tenant doesn't bother, then the tenant would wear the fine I guess. I've not heard of the Census chasing the landlord/registered owner previously, so I can understand RooFlyer's confusion.

I guess if the landlord does get chased down in a situation where the tenant failed, the landlord would just fill out the tenant's info as people that would normally be there, but would not be saying was actually there on Census night (because they don't know).

Maybe someone in or used to be in ABS could give us a better insight...