Mr P.J. Barrett (AM) - Auditor-General for Australia, presented at the 'Ensuring Accountability and Ethics with Corporate Governance in the Public Sector' - IIR Conference, Canberra

The audit examined the efficiency and effectiveness of the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations' implementation and subsequent management of the Indigenous Employment Policy. The audit sought to determine whether, in relation to the Indigenous Employment Policy, the department had:

• developed appropriate planning processes and performance measures;
• monitored and reported performance results;
• implemented appropriate evaluation and review mechanisms;
• conducted effective marketing and promotion; and
• identified enhancements and addressed performance issues.

The Digital Switchover campaign aims to provide all Australians with a smooth transition from analogue to digital television by 31 December 2013. The first phase of this campaign aims to raise awareness and provide general information to people about the Digital Switchover. This phase includes the introduction of a labelling scheme, to identify whether TVs are digital ready or require a set top box.

The campaign's objectives are to encourage people, for whom English is not a convenient language, to lodge an 07/08 tax return and to update their address and direct deposit details with the ATO, to manage expectations about the arrival date for the payments and provide information about what to do if the payments are not received.

The Economic Security Strategy (ESS) campaign is intended to inform the community of aspects of the Australian Government's response to the global financial crisis. This component of the campaign is designed to raise awareness, among those for whom English is not a convenient language, of the financial assistance available, in the form of lump sum payments, and of access and eligibility requirements.

The objective of the audit is to assess the effectiveness of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet’s implementation of food security initiatives for remote Indigenous communities.

The overall aim of the National Drugs Campaign is to contribute to a reduction in the uptake of illicit drugs among young Australians, by raising awareness of the harms associated with drug use and encouraging and supporting decisions not to use. It is also intended to encourage young people using methamphetamines to reconsider their use and direct them to relevant support, counselling and treatment services.

The campaign for the National STI Prevention Program is designed to inform young Australians aged 15-29 years about the transmission, symptoms, treatment and prevention of STIs, and encourage safe sexual behaviour to contribute to a reduction in the prevalence of sexually transmissible infections among this age group.

The campaign's objectives are to encourage people to lodge an 07/08 tax return and to update their address and direct deposit details with the ATO, to manage expectations about the arrival date for the payments and provide information about what to do if the payments are not received.

The campaign's objectives are to raise awareness of the harms and costs to young people, their families, communities and society associated with drinking to intoxication, to encourage young people and their parents to question the acceptability and impact of intoxicated behaviour, to highlight the influence that parental attitudes to alcohol misuse and adult behaviour and drinking to intoxication can have on others and provide referral and support information for those who recognise a need to seek help.