Dean Smith (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On behalf of the Chair of the Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit, I present two reports of the committee, as listed at item 11 on today's Order of Business. I seek leave to make a statement relating to the committee's decision on the appointment of the independent auditor.

Leave granted.

I wish to make a statement on the appointment of the Independent Auditor of the Australian National Audit Office. The Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit is required under the Public Accounts and Audit Committee Act 1951 to endorse the proposed appointment of any person to the office of Independent Auditor before that appointment can be recommended to the Governor-General. The committee is also obliged to report its decision to parliament. The Independent Auditor is a person appointed from the private sector on a part-time basis to serve as an external auditor to the Audit Office. I take this opportunity to advise the Senate that, on 29 May, the committee unanimously approved the appointment of Mr Peter Van Dongen, current National Managing Partner, Assurance, at PricewaterhouseCoopers.