Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Trade) Share this | Hansard source

The government does consider the Australian National Audit Office to be a very important national institution and recognises its work as being vital to help ensure accountability and transparency. Its recommendations do assist many agencies in identifying ways to improve public governance and administration. However, the amendments or requests that have been put before the chamber are based on a mistaken premise of there being cuts to the ANAO budget. The Auditor-General himself was asked during budget estimates whether his annual funding had been cut and was clear that there was no change in our budget and forward estimates in the budget process. Asked yet again, he emphasised there was no change from what we were expecting in our budget to what was in it. The government simply moved through, as we'd indicated previously, in terms of the budget allowance for the ANAO.

It's notable that on 2 September, over a month before the budget, the Joint Committee on Public Accounts and Audit commenced their 10-yearly review of the Auditor-General Act 1997. The terms of reference include consideration of funding for the ANAO. I know that Senator Patrick referenced this review in his remarks. This is a once-in-a-decade inquiry. It will look at the totality of the ANAO's operations, including its resourcing. Therefore, the government concluded it would be appropriate, in terms of changes to the funding model, for the organisation to look at that following receipt of that review, rather than in advance of it. Indeed, the Prime Minister emphasised this himself when he said:

There is a 10-year review currently underway, and, when the government receives the outcomes of that 10-year review, we will consider the resourcing for the ANAO.

When we receive that report, the government will make its response in terms of their ongoing resourcing.

But I do emphasise that the budget papers show growing appropriation over the forward years for the ANAO across its operating in capital costs, from $68.832 million in 2020-21 to $68.842 million the next year; $68.092 million the year after that; and $69.168 million the year after that. On top of this, the Auditor-General's salary is funded through a special appropriation that also matches salary cost increases over time.

The government will not be supporting these requests for amendments. We instead will respond, as I've outlined, to the JCPAA review. We reject the requests that are provided. We would emphasise that if they were received in the House they would be rejected there as well, pending that more informed approach.