Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Mackellar, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Seniors) Share this | Hansard source

The point I am making is that the member for Lyne has allowed his own bill to be negated in two of the most important aspects that were the reason for his bringing the bill in the first place—that is, the Auditor-General's automatic right to audit government business enterprises. The reason I have always been so strong about that is I well remember when I first came into the parliament and this very building was being built. Some of those on the Joint Committee of Public Accounts, as it was then known, wished to audit the building of Parliament House and look into the rorts by trade unions ripping off the system and escalating costs. The government of the day successfully blocked that by using a legal opinion as to when the government had to give its authority and when the committee had to give its authority. The Auditor-General was held to have no automatic right to audit government business enterprises.

In speaking on the second reading of the member for Lyne's bill, I strongly supported the right of the Auditor-General to have this power and indicated why. The member for Lyne, who spoke forcefully in favour of it, has now succumbed, rolled over to the government and reverted to the position that was there before. He has shown once and for all that the idea that he is truly independent is just not true.

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