Review of Ongoing Professional Development and Conflict of Interest and Benefit to Business Guidelines for Marriage Celebrants
Introduction
Ongoing Professional Development and Conflict of Interest/Benefit to Business Guidelines for Marriage Celebrants (Australian Government Statistical Clearing House Approval Number: 02530-01)
Thank you for taking the time to complete this survey by the Marriage Law and Celebrants Section in the Attorney-General’s Department.
Your feedback is important and will help us to efficiently and effectively regulate marriage celebrants. This survey will inform future arrangements for professional development and the conflict of interest/benefit to business rules for Commonwealth-registered marriage celebrants.
This survey contains a section on OPD and a section on conflict of interest/benefit to business. Completing both sections should take about 10-15 minutes of your time.
A discussion paper was attached to the e-mail inviting you to participate in this survey and is available on our website at www.ag.gov.au/Marriage if you would like more information about any of the issues raised.
Any questions marked with an asterisk (*) require an answer in order to progress through the survey.
If you have any questions about the survey, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call us on 1800 550 343.
To progress through this survey, use the following navigation buttons:
· Click the Next button to continue to the next page.
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· Click the Exit the Survey Early button if you need to exit the survey.
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· Click the Submit (DONE?) button to submit your survey.
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Therefore, to ensure your answers are anonymous, we request that you do not include information in your survey responses that is personal or that may identify you or others.
Results from the survey may be published on the Attorney-General’s Department website, but no personal information (eg name and address) will be published by the Department.
* 1 Please select all the statements that apply to you.
· I am a Commonwealth-registered marriage celebrant and conduct civil marriage ceremonies
· I am a Commonwealth-registered marriage celebrant and conduct religious marriage ceremonies
· I intend to/have applied to become a Commonwealth-registered marriage celebrant
· I represent a Registered Training Organisation (RTO)
· I represent a celebrant association
· I am a state or territory officer in a Births, Deaths and Marriages registry
· Other >
2. What is your age?
· 18-39
· 40-59
· 60-79
· 80 or older
3. What year did you first become registered as a Commonwealth-registered marriage celebrant?
· Before 2003
· Between 2003 and 2009
· 2010 and after
4. In the past twelve months approximately how many marriage ceremonies did you perform?
· None
· Between 1-9
· Between 10-50
· More than 50
After the Introduction of the the SurveyMonkey:
For more information about the following questions please see Part A: Issue 1 in the accompanying discussion paper
*5. Would you like to provide feedback about ongoing professional development?
If you select No the survey will skip to Part B: Conflict of Interest/Benefit to Business
. Yes
. No
Commonwealth-registered marriage celebrants are required to manage any actual or potential conflicts of interest.
This includes keeping other business interests completely separate from celebrancy practice.
Commonwealth-registered marriage celebrants are not currently permitted to charge for any additional non-celebrancy products and services they provide to marrying couples.
*6. Would you like to provide feedback about conflict of interest/benefit to business? If you select No, the survey will skip to the ‘Submit’ page.
. Yes
. No
For more information about the following questions please see Part B in the accompanying discussion paper.
* 7. Do you think the current policy on conflict of interest should change?
· Yes
· No
· I don’t know/unsure
CAUTION!
YES TO Q.7 > 8. Why do you think the current policy on conflict of interest should change?Select all that apply.
· It does not allow me to develop or expand my business
· I can self-manage any conflict of interest
· It is too hard to understand
· It is not necessary to ensure I meet all my legal obligations
· Other, please specify (max 500 characters)
Select all that apply.
· It ensures celebrants meet their legal responsibilities
· It reflects that the role of a celebrant is a community service
· It helps ensure that celebrants are professional
· It helps ensure celebrants aren’t compromised by other interests
· Other, please specify (max 500 characters)
I don’t know/unsure to Q.7 > Goes to 9.
For more information about the following questions please see Part B in the accompanying discussion paper.
* 9 Do you think the current policy on benefit to business should change?
· Yes
· No
· No preference / don’t know / unsure
Part B: Conflict of Interest / Benefit to Business
10. Why do you think the current policy on benefit to business should change?
Select all that apply.
· It does not allow me to expand or develop my business
· It is too hard to understand
· It is not necessary to ensure I meet all my legal obligations
· It would be good to offer additional services to marrying couples who request it
· Other, please specify (max 500 characters) Bottom of Form
Select all that apply
· It compromises the significance of the role of the celebrant if they offer other services to marrying couples.
· It reflects that the role of a celebrant is a community service
· It helps limit the number of people applying to become celebrants
· Other, please specify (max 500 characters)
Please see Part B of the discussion paper for more details on these options.
· Option one – status quo
· Option two – keep conflict of interest, but allow a narrow range of services to be offered
· Option three – keep conflict of interest, but allow a wide range of services to be offered
· Option four – remove conflict of interest and benefit to business restrictions
· None of the above
Please see Part B of the discussion paper for more details on these options.
· Option one – status quo
· Option two – keep conflict of interest, but allow a narrow range of services to be offered
· Option three – keep conflict of interest, but allow a wide range of services to be offered
· Option four – remove conflict of interest and benefit to business restrictions
· None of the above
· No
· Yes (max 700 characters)
After the Introduction of the the SurveyMonkey:
For more information about the following questions please see Part A: Issue 1 in the accompanying discussion paper
*5. Would you like to provide feedback about ongoing professional development?
If you select No the survey will skip to Part B: Conflict of Interest/Benefit to Business
. Yes
. No
Commonwealth-registered marriage celebrants are required to manage any actual or potential conflicts of interest.
This includes keeping other business interests completely separate from celebrancy practice.
Commonwealth-registered marriage celebrants are not currently permitted to charge for any additional non-celebrancy products and services they provide to marrying couples.
*6. Would you like to provide feedback about conflict of interest/benefit to business?
If you select No, the survey will skip to the ‘Submit’ page.
. Yes
. No
For more information about the following questions please see Part B in the accompanying discussion paper.
* 7. Do you think the current policy on conflict of interest should change?
· Yes
· No
· I don’t know/unsure
CAUTION!
YES TO Q.7 > 8. Why do you think the current policy on conflict of interest should change?
Select all that apply.· It does not allow me to develop or expand my business
· I can self-manage any conflict of interest
· It is too hard to understand
· It is not necessary to ensure I meet all my legal obligations
· Other, please specify (max 500 characters)
NO TO Q.7 > 8. Why do you think the current policy on conflict of interest should not change?
Select all that apply.· It ensures celebrants meet their legal responsibilities
· It reflects that the role of a celebrant is a community service
· It helps ensure that celebrants are professional
· It helps ensure celebrants aren’t compromised by other interests
· Other, please specify (max 500 characters)
I don’t know/unsure to Q.7 > Goes to 9.
For more information about the following questions please see Part B in the accompanying discussion paper.
* 9 Do you think the current policy on benefit to business should change?
· Yes
· No
· No preference / don’t know / unsure
Part B: Conflict of Interest / Benefit to Business
10. Why do you think the current policy on benefit to business should change?
Select all that apply.
· It does not allow me to expand or develop my business
· It is too hard to understand
· It is not necessary to ensure I meet all my legal obligations
· It would be good to offer additional services to marrying couples who request it
· Other, please specify (max 500 characters) Bottom of Form
10. Why do you think the current policy on benefit to business should not change?
Select all that apply
· It compromises the significance of the role of the celebrant if they offer other services to marrying couples.
· It reflects that the role of a celebrant is a community service
· It helps limit the number of people applying to become celebrants
· Other, please specify (max 500 characters)
10. Which of the following options do you feel would be of most benefit to marriage celebrants?
Please see Part B of the discussion paper for more details on these options.
· Option one – status quo
· Option two – keep conflict of interest, but allow a narrow range of services to be offered
· Option three – keep conflict of interest, but allow a wide range of services to be offered
· Option four – remove conflict of interest and benefit to business restrictions
· None of the above
*11. Which of the following options do you feel would be of most benefit to marrying couples?
Please see Part B of the discussion paper for more details on these options.
· Option one – status quo
· Option two – keep conflict of interest, but allow a narrow range of services to be offered
· Option three – keep conflict of interest, but allow a wide range of services to be offered
· Option four – remove conflict of interest and benefit to business restrictions
· None of the above
12. Are there any other options you would like the department to consider in relation to the conflict of interest and/or benefit to business policies?· No
· Yes (max 700 characters)
