House of Representatives Committees

| Parliamentary Joint Committee on Public Accounts and Audit

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Preliminary pages

Foreword

This report, The role of the Auditor-General in scrutinising government advertising, completes an inquiry by the Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit of the 42nd Parliament. After consideration of the report and its findings the current Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit has decided to adopt this report.

I would like to commend the Chair of the previous committee, Ms Sharon Grierson, and all Committee members on the work of this inquiry and this report. The report is a comprehensive consideration of the issues which resulted from the Auditor-General having a role in scrutinising government advertising.

The current Committee agrees with the only recommendation of the report and reiterates that it is important that any substantial proposed changes to the role of the Auditor-General are first reviewed by this Committee on behalf of the Parliament.

The Committee seriously considered the option of continuing to scrutinise government advertising, due to it being such a subjective area of government spending.  However, following advice from the Auditor-General, the Committee satisfied itself that the Auditor-General’s forward works program will achieve this same purpose.

The current Committee therefore looks forward to hearing from the Auditor‑General in the forthcoming report regarding the implementation of the new system for scrutinising government advertising, due to be tabled in the Spring 2011 parliamentary session. This report will examine both the processes involved and agencies’ compliance with the Guidelines on Information and Advertising Campaigns for Australian Government Departments and Agencies (March 2010).

 

Mr Robert Oakeshott MP

Chair


Membership of the Committee

43rd Parliament

Chair

Mr Robert Oakeshott MP

 

Deputy Chair

Mrs Yvette D’Ath MP

 

Members

The Hon Dick Adams MP

Senator Guy Barnett

 

Mr Jamie Briggs MP

Senator Mark Bishop

 

Ms Gai Brodtmann MP

Senator Annette Hurley

 

Mr Darren Cheeseman MP

Senator Helen Kroger

 

Mr Josh Frydenberg MP

Senator Glenn Sterle

 

Ms Deb O’Neill MP

 

 

Ms Laura Smyth MP

 

 

The Hon Alex Somlyay MP

 


42nd Parliament

Chair

Ms Sharon Grierson MP

 

Deputy Chair

Mr Petro Georgiou MP

 

Members

The Hon Dick Adams MP (from 17/08/09)

Senator Guy Barnett

 

The Hon Arch Bevis MP

Senator Mark Bishop

 

The Hon Bronwyn Bishop MP

Senator David Bushby (until 02/02/10)

 

Mr David Bradbury MP

Senator David Feeney

 

Mr Jamie Briggs MP

Senator Helen Kroger (from 02/02/10)

 

Mr Mark Butler MP (until 15/06/09)

Senator Kate Lundy

 

Ms Catherine King MP

 

 

The Hon Sussan Ley MP (from 03/02/10)

 

 

Mr Shayne Neumann MP

 

 

Mr Stuart Robert MP (until 03/02/10)

 



Committee Secretariat

Secretary

Mr Russell Chafer

Inquiry Secretary

Ms Sharon Bryant

 

Mr Muzammil Ali

 

Ms Pauline Cullen

Research Officers

Ms Fiona Gardner



List of abbreviations

ACTU

Australian Council of Trade Unions

ALP

Australian Labor Party

ANAO

Australian National Audit Office

AUASB

Australian Auditing and Assurance Standards Board

CAB

Communications Advice Branch

CAS

Central Advertising System

ESSP

Economic Security Strategy Payment

Finance

Department of Finance and Deregulation

FMA Act

Financial Management and Accountability Act 1997

GCU

Government Communications Unit

ICC

Independent Communications Committee

IDCC

Interdepartmental Committee on Communications

IPAA

Institute of Public Administration Australia

JCPAA

Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit

MCGC

Ministerial Committee on Government Communications

NESB

Non-English speaking backgrounds

PM&C

Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet



List of recommendations

Recommendation 1

The Committee recommends that any substantial proposed changes to the role of the Auditor-General, in accordance with his standing as an Independent Officer of the Parliament, be first reviewed by the Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit.


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