The Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit (JCPAA) has tabled its report on the administration of Commonwealth grants. Four Auditor-General reports and three additional grant programs were considered in this inquiry which informed eight recommendations which, if adopted, will significantly strengthen the processes and transparency around Commonwealth grant awards.

Media release issue date: Thursday, 29 June 2023

The Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit (JCPAA) has tabled its report on the administration of Commonwealth grants. Four Auditor-General reports and three additional grant programs were considered in this inquiry which informed eight recommendations which, if adopted, will significantly strengthen the processes and transparency around Commonwealth grant awards. The Chair of the JCPAA, Mr Julian Hill MP said that “clear and concerning evidence of serial non-compliance with the Commonwealth Grants Rules and Guidelines (CGRGs) and program guidelines was presented. The requirements are not overly complex or onerous yet both the letter and the spirit of rules were routinely disregarded by Ministers and officials.” “Instead of transparently allocating public funds, the previous government pursued industrial scale rorting for blatantly partisan purposes. Rorting grants programs in this way not only wastes money, but also degraded public trust. The Committee was especially appalled to receive evidence that politicisation of regional grants programs corroded public trust to the point some councils stopped applying due to the belief they would never get a fair go.” “Principles of fairness, a competitive process by default, transparency, and value for money were simply disregarded and records of critical decisions were not made or kept.” “It's difficult to know what is more perplexing. That the previous government did what they did with billions of dollars of taxpayer dollars? Or that they still do not acknowledge that what they did was utterly wrong” “If the first step to recovery is to admit there is a problem, then it is clear from their attitude to this inquiry that the Liberal and National Parties are still in denial.” “It is simply not good enough for those trying to defend the egregious behaviour revealed through the inquiry to say ‘no illegality was identified’ when assessment processes were repeatedly, systematically and systemically perverted. Especially so when funding decisions repeatedly resulted in ridiculously partisan outcomes. Just because you can do something, doesn’t mean you should.” “Dismissing legitimate criticism of the Liberals’ industrial scale rorting of grant programs as 'politically motivated' is peak irony." Mr Hill added that “Ministers can and should apply their own critical judgement to and are perfectly entitled to accept or reject departmental advice. What the Committee does not accept however is the lack of transparency under the previous government. Ministers are not ‘gods’ and are subject to the law and the rules and must record properly and fully documented reasons.” The Committee is recommending changes to the CGRGs to ensure that competitive processes are used by default and election commitments are clearly defined, that the roles of stakeholders are clarified, that ministerial funding approvals against agency recommendations are clearly recorded and reported promptly to the Minister for Finance, and that any ‘other factors’ by which grants will be assessed are fully transparent. The Committee’s inquiry focused in particular on instances of non-compliance with the CGRGs which are intended to achieve fairness, a competitive process by default, transparency of decision-making, and value for money. The identified issues included an emerging trend towards non-competitive grant processes, a lack of a definition of election commitments, inadequate records of decisions taken by officials and ministers, and the use of unspecified ‘other factors’ in grants assessments. The Committee also considered the future application of the CGRGs to non-corporate Commonwealth entities. The Committee’s report also examined the current use of centralised grants hubs to administer these programs and noted the Auditor-General’s findings that they have only been partly effective in delivering on the intended efficiencies and cost-savings. The Committee has concurred with the Auditor-General’s recommendations that more effective future planning and performance measures, and improved data quality, are needed for the hubs and has requested that the Department of Finance provide future updates on their implementation. The Committee’s report is available on the Committee website. Media inquiries Mr Julian Hill MP, Chair of the Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit on (03) 9791 7770 (Electorate Office). For background information Committee Secretariat 02 6277 4615 jcpaa@aph.gov.au For more information about this Committee, you can visit its website. On the site, you can make a submission to an inquiry, read other submissions, and get details for upcoming public hearings. You can also track the Committee and receive email updates by clicking on the blue ‘Track Committee’ button in the bottom right-hand corner of the page.

The Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit (JCPAA) will hold public hearings this week for its inquiries into Commonwealth procurement, Commonwealth Grants Administration and the Commonwealth Financial Statements 2021-22.

Media release issue date: Wednesday, 29 March 2023

The Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit (JCPAA) will hold public hearings this week for its inquiries into Commonwealth procurement, Commonwealth Grants Administration and the Commonwealth Financial Statements 2021-22. THURSDAY: Procurement Inquiry wrapping up Thursday 30 March 2023 Time: 08.00am – 09.00am Venue: Committee Room 2R1, Parliament House, Canberra The Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) and the Community and Public Sector Union will appear before the JCPAA to further discuss concerns about contract management by the Department of Home Affairs. This hearing will allow the Committee to sum up the broader evidence received throughout the inquiry in what is likely to be the last hearing. FRIDAY: Grants Administration Inquiry continues Friday 31 March 2023 Time: 08.30am – 10.00am Venue: Committee Room 2R1, Parliament House, Canberra On Friday, JCPAA will welcome the Department of Finance and the ANAO for the final hearing for the inquiry into Commonwealth Grants Administration. The Committee will consider questions on the effectiveness of the Commonwealth Grants Rules and Guidelines and best practice in the administration of grants programs. FRIDAY: Commonwealth Financial Statements Inquiry kicks off Friday 31 March 2023 Time: 10:15am – 12:30pm Venue: Committee Room 2R1, Parliament House, Canberra Also on Friday, the JCPAA will commence public hearings for its inquiry into the Commonwealth Financial Statements. Key themes to be explored include: ANAO concerns regarding Defence’s use of appropriations Financial sustainability of government departments, in the context of media reports that the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry is “on the cusp of requiring a financial bailout”, and concerns regarding the Department of Home Affairs. The Committee Chair, Mr Julian Hill MP, noted that these themes were just two of many matters raised in the ANAO’s audit findings from its review of the financial statements. ‘The Committee has a particular interest in understanding how Commonwealth entities are managing their financial resources to meet their present and future funding commitments,’ Mr Hill said. Further information about the inquiries is available on the Committee website. Media inquiries Mr Julian Hill MP, Chair of the Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit on (03) 9791 7770 (Electorate Office). For background information Committee Secretariat 02 6277 4615 jcpaa@aph.gov.au For more information about this Committee, you can visit its website. On the site, you can make a submission to an inquiry, read other submissions, and get details for upcoming public hearings. You can also track the Committee and receive email updates by clicking on the blue ‘Track Committee’ button in the bottom right-hand corner of the page.

The Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit will hold a public hearing on Friday 17 March for its inquiry into Commonwealth grants administration.

Media release issue date: Friday, 17 March 2023

The Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit will hold a public hearing on Friday 17 March for its inquiry into Commonwealth grants administration. The hearing will focus on equity, decision-making and matters relating to the allocation of funding under three programs: Urban Congestion Fund, Regional Growth Fund and the Modern Manufacturing Initiative. Committee Chair, Mr Julian Hill MP, noted that these three programs have had significant funding commitments and expenditure by the Australian Government, making them worthy of further scrutiny. “In the last public hearing held on 3 March, the Committee examined a number of grants programs that had been subject to audits by the Australian National Audit Office,” Mr Hill said. “In the upcoming session, we are keen to see whether the issues identified by the Auditor-General in the audit reports are recurring in these other programs.” “The Committee will also hold two roundtables in the afternoon, on integrity in Commonwealth grants administration and on grant applicant experiences.” Details for the public hearings are: Friday 17 March 2023 Time: 9.00am – 3.15pm Venue: Committee Room 2R1, Parliament House, Canberra Inquiry into Commonwealth Grants Administration Further information about the inquiry is available on the Committee website. Media inquiries Mr Julian Hill MP, Chair of the Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit on (02) 6277 2174 (Parliament House) or (03) 9791 7770 (Electorate Office).  For background information Committee Secretariat 02 6277 4615 jcpaa@aph.gov.au For more information about this Committee, you can visit its website. On the site, you can make a submission to an inquiry, read other submissions, and get details for upcoming public hearings. You can also track the Committee and receive email updates by clicking on the blue ‘Track this Committee’ button in the bottom right hand corner of the page.

The Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit will hold public hearings on Friday 3 March for its inquiries into Commonwealth grants administration and Commonwealth procurement.

Media release issue date: Thursday, 2 March 2023

The Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit will hold public hearings on Friday 3 March for its inquiries into Commonwealth grants administration and Commonwealth procurement. The grants inquiry is considering ways to strengthen the integrity and improve the administration of Commonwealth grants. The inquiry follows recent audits by the Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) which have uncovered some issues with the management of certain programs. The hearing will focus on Commuter Car Parks projects within the Urban Congestion Fund, the Building Better Regions Fund, and the Safer Communities Program. Committee Chair Mr Julian Hill MP noted concerns raised in these audit reports about the effectiveness and fairness of grants administration. ‘The Committee will look into how grants were being awarded, what changes agencies are making to address the problems uncovered by the audit office, and what else needs to be done’, Mr Hill said. The procurement inquiry will hear from the ANAO about its recent information report on trends in Australian government procurement reporting on the AusTender website. Details for the public hearings are: Friday 3 March 2023 Time: 8.30am – 4.15pm Venue: Committee Room 2R1, Parliament House, Canberra Inquiry into Commonwealth Procurement Inquiry into Commonwealth Grants Administration Further information about the inquiries is available on the Committee website. Media inquiries Mr Julian Hill MP, Chair of the Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit (03) 9791 7770 (Electorate Office). For background information Committee Secretariat 02 6277 4615 jcpaa@aph.gov.au For more information about this Committee, you can visit its website. On the site, you can make a submission to an inquiry, read other submissions, and get details for upcoming public hearings. You can also track the Committee and receive email updates by clicking on the blue ‘Track this Committee’ button in the bottom right-hand corner of the page.

The administration of government grants will be examined in a new Parliamentary inquiry, seeking to understand and learn lessons from the administration of previous grants programs and strengthen how Commonwealth grants are delivered.

Media release issue date: Monday, 26 September 2022

The administration of government grants will be examined in a new Parliamentary inquiry, seeking to understand and learn lessons from the administration of previous grants programs and strengthen how Commonwealth grants are delivered. Four Auditor-General’s reports relating to grants administration (Building Better Regions; Grants Hubs; Safer Communities; and Commuter Car Parks) will be considered by the Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit in this inquiry. The administration of three other grant programs (the Urban Congestion Fund; Regional Growth Fund; and Modern Manufacturing Initiative) as well as the implementation of recommendations in the Committee’s previous report on grants will also be reviewed. Committee Chair, Mr Julian Hill MP, said that parliamentary scrutiny of these programs was important to ensure that future grants programs are administered consistent with the intent of the Commonwealth Grant Rules and guidelines and in line with community expectations. "The Committee will amplify the Auditor-General’s work, and also examine additional programs of interest administered by the previous government to learn lessons and to try to improve grants administration in the future,” Mr Hill said. The Committee invites submissions to the inquiry addressing the terms of reference to be received by Friday, 28 October 2022. Details of public hearings will be made available on the inquiry website. Media inquiries Mr Julian Hill MP, Chair of the Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit on (03) 9791 7770 (Electorate Office) or via Phillip Danh 0469 646 998. For background information Committee Secretariat 02 6277 4615 jcpaa@aph.gov.au For more information about this Committee, you can visit its website. On the site, you can make a submission to an inquiry, read other submissions, and get details for upcoming public hearings. You can also track the Committee and receive email updates by clicking on the blue ‘Track Committee’ button in the bottom right-hand corner of the page.