On 31 August 2016, the Senate referred the 2016 Census to the Senate Economics References Committee for inquiry and report by 24 November 2016. The terms of reference include the following matters:

The 2016 Census, with particular reference to:

a) the preparation, administration and management on the part of the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) and the Government in the lead up to the 2016 Census;

b) the scope, collection, retention, security and use of data obtained in the 2016 Census;

c) arrangements, including contractual arrangements, in respect of the information technology aspects of the Census;

d) the shutting down of the Census website on the evening of 9 August 2016, the factors leading to that shutdown and the reasons given, and the support provided by government agencies, including the Australian Signals Directorate;

e) the response rate to the Census and factors that may have affected the response rate;

f) privacy concerns in respect of the 2016 Census, including the use of data linking, information security and statistical linkage keys;

g) Australia’s Census of Population and Housing generally, including purpose, scope, regularity and cost and benefits;

i) ministerial oversight and responsibility; and

j) any related matters.