Our contribution to the Parliament

The ANAO is committed to supporting the Parliament in its work through the tabling of our audit reports on Australian Government programmes and providing specialist assistance to Parliamentary inquiries. The ANAO prepared submissions and gave evidence to the following major inquiries undertaken by the Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit (JCPAA) in 2006–07:

  • Inquiry reviewing Certain Taxation Matters within Australia; and
  • Inquiry into financial reporting and equipment acquisition at the Department of Defence and Defence Materiel Organisation.

During the course of the above mentioned Defence inquiry, the JCPAA recommended that the ANAO undertake an annual audit of the ‘Top 30’ Defence capital equipment projects. The Prime Minister supported this recommendation and indicated that a submission, agreed between the ANAO and the Department of Defence, should be brought forward in the context of the 2008–09 Budget.

The ANAO also provided submissions and evidence to the following inquiries conducted by the Senate Standing Committee on Finance and Public Administration:

  • Inquiry into Transparency and Accountability of Commonwealth Public Funding and Expenditure; and
  • Inquiry into Departmental and Agency Contracts

These reports were tabled in February and March 2007 respectively.

The JCPAA reviews all our audit reports and conducts public inquiries each quarter where evidence is taken from agencies which have been the subject of significant audit findings in the preceding three months. The ANAO gives evidence at these inquiries and assists the JCPAA in its review work which, over many years, has contributed to better public administration through its recommendations on policy and administrative matters.

The JCPAA tabled Report 407 Review of Auditor-General’s Reports tabled between 18 January 2005 and 18 April 2005 in September 2006. The report reviewed audit reports on a number of Government agencies and included subjects such as customer service, regulatory functions, and contract management.

The House of Representatives Standing Committee on Health and Ageing reviewed Audit Report No. 19, 2006–2007: Administration of State and Territory Compliance with the Australian Health Care Agreements. The Committee’s report had not been tabled as at 30 June 2007.

ANAO audits undertaken at the request of the Parliament, Ministers, Senators and Members

While under the Auditor–General Act 1997 I have the sole discretion over the audit coverage provided by the ANAO, I do on occasions receive requests to undertake particular audits from Parliamentary Committees, Ministers, Senators and Members. During 2006–07, I undertook the following three audits which had been requested:

  • Audit Report No. 5, 2006–2007, The Senate Order for Departmental and Agency Contracts (Financial Year 2005 Compliance) was again conducted at the request of the Senate. The audit examined Financial Management and Accountability (FMA) Act agencies’ compliance with the Senate Order for Departmental and Agency Contracts;
  • Audit Report No. 8, 2006–2007, Airservices Australia: upper Airspace Management Contracts with the Solomon Islands Government was requested by Mr Warren Truss MP,the former Minister for Transport and Regional Services following a review of civil aviation by the Solomon Islands Auditor-General; and
  • The scope of Audit Report No. 39, 2006–2007, Distribution of Funding for Community Grant Programs took into account concerns raised by Mr Chris Bowen MP, the Federal member for Prospect, regarding the administration of two rounds of funding for the Local Answers and Volunteer Small Equipment Grant (VSEG) programmes.

In addition to the above requests, which resulted in audit reports, I have responded to a number of matters raised by Senators and Members through correspondence. With the co-operation of relevant agencies, responses have been provided on such matters within one month of receipt of the correspondence.