The Auditor-General (A/g) responded on 23 September 2015 to correspondence from Ms Julie Collins MP on 1 September 2015 regarding parliamentary entitlements paid to Liberal MPs and Senators.

The objective of the audit was to examine the effectiveness of Centrelink's approach to investigating and responding to external fraud. The ANAO's assessment was based on four key criteria. In particular, the ANAO assessed whether Centrelink:

• had established a management framework, business systems and guidelines, that support the investigation, prosecution and reporting of fraud;
• had implemented appropriate case selection strategies and controls to ensure resources are targeted to the cases of highest priority;
• complied with relevant external and internal requirements when investigating fraud and referring cases for consideration of prosecution; and
• had implemented an effective training program that supports high quality investigations and prosecution referrals.

The objective of the audit was to assess whether APS agencies had sound approaches to recruitment, to assist in providing the workforce capability to deliver government programs effectively. Sound approaches to recruitment involve agencies:

• establishing and implementing strategic approaches to recruitment to address current and future workforce priorities and goals;
• managing and supporting recruitment activities through the provision of expert advice and support, legislative and procedural guidance material, and training for staff involved in recruitment activities;
• conducting recruitment activities effectively and in compliance with legislative and administrative requirements; and
• systematically monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness and efficiency of recruitment strategies, policies and activities.

The Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 establishes a scheme to confiscate proceeds of crime and allows for confiscated proceeds of crime to be re-invested in programs for relevant purposes, including crime prevention and law enforcement. Auditor-General Report No. 43 2016–17 Proceeds of Crime concluded that:

• effective processes had been established by the Attorney-General’s Department to identify the possible use of funds from the Confiscated Assets Account;
• appropriate advice was being provided to the Minister to inform decision-making; and
• the main beneficiaries of funding from the Confiscated Assets Account have been Commonwealth criminal intelligence or law enforcement entities with significant funds also approved for non-government, community organisations or local council’s projects, including through the Safer Streets Programme (examined in Auditor-General Report No. 41 2014–15 The Award of Funding under the Safer Streets Programme). In addition, the initial allocation to the Safer Communities Fund (examined in Auditor-General Report No. 16 2021–22) included unspent Safer Streets program funding (sourced from the Confiscated Asset Fund, under the Proceeds of Crime Act).

This audit would examine the processes through which funding allocations are identified, the appropriateness of the advice provided by the Attorney-General’s Department to inform funding decisions.

This audit would assess the effectiveness of the Department of Finance’s administration of the governance and accountability framework for Government Business Enterprises (GBE), including its support and advice to the Minister for Finance, who is a GBE shareholder minister. The audit may also review entities’ implementation of framework requirements and expectations set out in the GBE guidelines.

A GBE is a Commonwealth entity or Commonwealth company that is prescribed pursuant to the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013 and related Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Rule 2014. Nine GBEs have been prescribed. Two GBEs are corporate Commonwealth entities: Australian Postal Corporation; and Defence Housing Australia. Seven GBEs are Commonwealth companies: ASC Pty Limited; Australian Naval Infrastructure Pty Ltd; Australian Rail Track Corporation Limited; National Intermodal Corporation Limited; NBN Co Limited; Snowy Hydro Limited; and WSA Co Limited. The Department of Finance provides advice to the Australian Government relating to its GBEs and other commercial entities.

This audit would assess the Department of Finance’s and other selected entities’ administration of the Assurance Review framework, including the implementation readiness assessment and gateway review process for the delivery of major programs and projects. The framework is designed to strengthen governance and assurance practices and play an important role in assisting entities to successfully deliver major programs and projects.

This audit would assess the effectiveness of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority, the Reserve Bank of Australia, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission, and the Australian Communications and Media Authority in responding to financial scams in Australia.

Scams are a growing threat to Australian consumers and businesses, with financial losses to scams reported to be at least $3.1 billion in 2022 (an 80 per cent increase on losses recorded in 2021). In 2022, 65 per cent of Australians were exposed to a scam attempt. Since 1 July 2023, the National-Anti Scam Centre has been set up in the ACCC, which aims to link government organisations and Australians. The audit would examine whether the entities properly discharged their responsibilities responding to scams and whether they effectively coordinated efforts where appropriate.

This audit would assess the design and governance underpinning the National Indigenous Australians Agency’s and the Attorney-General’s Department’s joint establishment of an independent National Justice Reinvestment Unit and the effectiveness of the early delivery of up to 30 community-led justice reinvestment initiatives.

Targets 10 and 11 of the National Agreement on Closing the Gap relate to reducing adult and youth incarceration rates for First Nations peoples. The Attorney-General’s Department describes justice reinvestment as ‘a long-term, community-led approach that aims to prevent crime, address the drivers of contact with the justice system, and improve justice outcomes for First Nations people in a particular place or community’. Around $100m was announced for investments in community-led justice reinvestment initiatives and First Nations-led legal assistance services in the 2022–23 Federal Budget. This included $81.5 million over four years for justice reinvestment initiatives to be delivered in partnership with First Nations communities, plus $20 million per year from 2026–27. In the 2023–24 Federal Budget, the Australian Government committed an additional $10 million over four years to support place-based justice reinvestment partnerships located in the Central Australia region of the Northern Territory, under the $250 million plan for A Better, Safer Future for Central Australia.

The audit would assess the delivery of outcomes achieved by selected entities as intended by government approved New Policy Proposals.

This audit would assess whether the Department of Education effectively administers higher education funding, including gaining assurance that funding is spent in accordance with legislation, and measuring the impact of funding.

Higher education providers are estimated to receive $10.9 billion in 2023–24 in Australian Government funding for education (not including research funding), largely via grants administered by the Department of Education — the largest of these is the Commonwealth Grant Scheme, which will provide an estimated $7.6 billion in funding for domestic student fees in 2023–24.