The Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit (the Committee), pursuant to the Public Accounts and Audit Committee Act 1951, examines all of the reports of the
Auditor-General tabled in the Parliament. The Committee periodically selects several of those reports for further detailed scrutiny.
This report contains the Committee’s review of seven Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) reports that focus on ensuring that the principles of efficiency and effectiveness are consistently applied across programs and portfolio areas.
The ANAO reports selected for inquiry cover a wide range of program areas: Export Finance Australia, the Farm Deposit Management Scheme, small business debt recovery, the process of conferring citizenship, the National Action Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children, transport safety investigations and cost recovery practices. Given the extensive scope of both program areas and agency responsibilities, the Committee is assured that effectiveness and efficiency matters have broadly been considered.
During the course of the inquiry, the Committee was pleased to learn that most agencies worked closely with the Auditor-General to identify how best to implement the recommendations made to ensure continual improvement.
I would like to thank the organisations that made written submissions and appeared at a public hearing to this inquiry. I also thank my fellow committee members who have worked together to deliver a consensus report. I acknowledge the work of the Committee Secretariat who have provided professional support to the Committee during the inquiry.
Ms Lucy Wicks MP
Chair