Public comment on our regulatory activities
Our approach to transparency
We are committed to transparency, and we proactively communicate information about our regulatory activities to raise awareness of and encourage compliance with electoral laws. This is important because it promotes trust and confidence in our electoral systems and processes.
We engage in a wide range of communication activities to inform the public of our regulatory activities. This includes engaging with the public through a range of communication channels such as media releases, interviews, and social media. We also share information on our website, in reports, submissions to parliamentary inquiries and in speeches and presentations to stakeholders.
When we will make public comment
We will generally make a public statement on significant compliance and enforcement activities where we consider this to be in the public interest.
This type of public comment helps uphold the transparency and accountability of our work. It also helps to promote confidence in our electoral system.
We also use public statements to:
- let Victorians know what behaviour is and isn’t appropriate under the Electoral Act
- respond to misinformation about the electoral process
Where there is a strong public interest to do so we may confirm that an investigation:
- is underway
- has concluded
- has been referred to another agency.
We will generally publicise the outcome of a legal matter we’re involved with, no matter the type of issue or whether it arises from our actions or from the actions of others. If a matter is appealed, we will publicise the outcome of the appeal.
We regularly publish statistics and other de-identified information to educate and inform the public about our regulatory activities on our website.
Our decisions to publish information on our regulatory activities follow strict guidelines to make sure we are accurate and fair, and not inappropriately influenced.
When we won’t make public comment
We must balance the right of the public to know about our regulatory activities with the need to ensure procedural fairness. We must also maintain the integrity of investigations we or others conduct. While we always want to be open and transparent, we will not risk the integrity of an investigation to do so. We may also choose not to publish information where, on balance, it may be against the public interest to do so, or to protect the legal rights of an individual.
While we may issue public statements about the status of ongoing investigations, we will not reveal specific details. This applies to our own investigations as well as any referred to another agency such as Victoria Police or IBAC.
Occasionally, we are not able to speak about an investigation because of a court order or legislation. We will not make any public comment in these situations.
We may also choose not to comment on the progress or specific outcome of audits or reviews to protect the integrity of these actions and allow a fair and unbiased process to take place. It also helps us respect the privacy of those involved.
Confidentiality and privacy
Our commitment to openness means we may name entities in public statements and reports when it is appropriate to do so. This is important for transparency and public education, so there are no surprises and electoral participants know what may happen if they break the rules.
We will weigh any potential impact on those involved against our responsibility to promote proper conduct under the Electoral Act before we decide if we will name individuals or groups.
We will not disclose convictions that no longer appear on most criminal record checks (known as spent convictions).
You can find more information on how we treat personal information on our Privacy page.
More information
See the Media centre page for information about our expectations of media behaviour.