Ross Hart (Bass, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

On behalf of the Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit, I present the following report: Report 474—Annual report 2017-18.

Report made a parliamentary paper in accordance with standing order 39(e).

by leave—The Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit is one of parliament's oldest and most autonomous committees. I might say, from my experience, it is a committee that operates in the true spirit of bipartisanship. In 2017-18, the committee again sustained high-quality scrutiny of Commonwealth expenditure and public administration matters. Over the year, the committee tabled eight inquiry reports examining the matters contained in 16 Auditor-General's reports. Themed inquiries into core aspects of public administration were a feature of the committee's inquiry activities. These themes included the Commonwealth financial statements, Commonwealth grant administration, Commonwealth procurement and the Commonwealth performance framework.

The committee continued its strong contribution to enhancing accountability and improving efficiency in public administration, something every parliamentarian and, indeed, every Australian needs to be conscious of.

Across the year, the committee received 110 submissions to inquiries and made significantly more recommendations to government. Over the last reporting period the committee made 57 recommendations, compared to 17 in the previous reporting period.

It is the committee's practice to require Commonwealth entities to report on recommendations within six months. In 2017-18 a total of 63 government responses were received, with 87 per cent of these received within the required time. This compares with 39 responses received in the previous reporting period, with 92 per cent received on time.

This reporting period included consultation on the conduct of the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013 (PGPA Act) independent review.

The committee plays an ongoing role in scrutinising the PGPA Act and its operations, which provide a new resource-management, planning and performance framework for the Commonwealth.

A draft report of the independent review, containing 46 recommendations, was developed and published for comment on 31 May 2018. The final report is expected to be published in late 2018.

The committee will continue to maintain significant interest in monitoring the implementation of the review recommendations, as part of its ongoing oversight of the PGPA Act.

The committee wishes to note its appreciation of the work undertaken thus far by the independent reviewers, Ms Elizabeth Alexander AM and Mr David Thodey AO, and their interest in deliberating with the committee thus far.

Other key activities performed throughout the year included: inquiries into Defence sustainment expenditure; the Defence Major Projects Report; consideration of the audit priorities of the parliament; and the review of the annual budget estimates of both the ANAO and the Parliamentary Budget Office.

I would like to extend thanks on behalf of the chair and deputy chair to all members of the committee for their commitment throughout 2017-18.

The committee also extends its continued appreciation for the quality stewardship and professionalism of the committee secretariat led by Ms Susan Cardell.

I look forward to maintaining the high standard of committee work over the coming year and through our inquiry and oversight activities, and, in doing so, protecting the real interests of Australian taxpayers by ensuring the proper and efficient scrutiny of the use of public resources.

I commend the report to the House.

I present the executive minutes on reports 463, 467 and 469 of the Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit.

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