Report on 1997-98 Annual Reports: Report Two
Table of Contents

Chapter 1 - General Overview

Introduction

In accordance with the order of the Senate of 1 May 1996, as amended 11 November 1998, the Finance and Public Administration Legislation Committee is allocated responsibility for the oversight of the following portfolios:

• Parliament;
• Prime Minister and Cabinet; and
• Finance and Administration.

Under Senate Standing Order 25 (21) annual reports of departments and agencies stand referred to legislation committees in accordance with the allocation of departments and agencies as per the above resolution. Each committee is required to:

(a) examine each annual report referred to it and report to the Senate whether the report is apparently satisfactory;

(b) consider in more detail, and report to the Senate on each annual report which is not apparently satisfactory, and on the other annual reports which it selects for more detailed consideration;

(c) investigate and report to the Senate on any lateness in the presentation of annual reports;

(d) in considering an annual report take into account any relevant remarks about the report made in debate in the Senate;

(e) if the committee so determines, consider annual reports of departments and budget-related agencies in conjunction with examination of estimates;

(f) report on annual reports tabled by 31 October each year by the tenth sitting day of the following year, and on annual reports tabled by 30 April each year by the tenth sitting day after 30 June of that year;

(g) draw to the attention of the Senate any significant matters relating to the operations and performance of the bodies furnishing the annual reports; and

(h) report to the Senate each year whether there are any bodies which do not present annual reports to the Senate and which should present such reports.

Reports examined

The timing of the 1998 federal election resulted in the late tabling of all 1997-98 annual reports required to be tabled by 31 October. The committee therefore for convenience, elected to divide the reports into two groupings for review in 1999 based on legislative reporting requirements and not the tabling date. Report one, tabled in March, considered reports from those agencies required to report according to the departmental reporting guidelines and that operate under the Financial Management and Accountability Act 1997; and other reports most appropriately considered at that time including the CSS and PSS Boards, the Official Establishments Trust and the Office of the Official Secretary to the Governor-General. This report will consider those bodies required to report according to the Commonwealth Authorities and Companies Act 1997, and any other reports not considered in the March report.

In this report the committee examines 17 annual reports; 6 of them were presented to the President out of session by 31 October 1998. Included in Appendix A is a table of 1997-98 tabling dates of all annual reports referred to this committee with, in brackets, the date of presentation to the President, where relevant.

Annual reports examined in this report include:

• 13 from statutory officers or bodies – the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commercial Development Corporation (CDC), the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC), the Aboriginal Land Commissioner, the Aboriginals Benefit Reserve (ABR), the Anindilyakwa Land Council (ALC), the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS), the Central Land Council (CLC), the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation (CAR), the Indigenous Land Corporation (ILC), the Northern Land Council (NLC), the Remuneration Tribunal (RT), the Tiwi Land Council (TLC) and the Torres Strait Regional Authority (TSRA);
• two from non-statutory bodies – the Australian Political Exchange Council (APEC) and the National Procurement Board (NPB);
• one from a government company – Aboriginal Hostels Limited (AHL); and
• one on the operation of an Act – Members of Parliament (Staff) Act 1984 – Consultants engaged under Section 4 of the Act.

The committee notes a change to the Administrative Arrangements impacting on the makeup of the Finance and Administration portfolio and subsequently the reports referred for examination. The committee examines the Remuneration Tribunal annual report for the first time since the administrative responsibility was transferred from the Minister for Workplace Relations and Small Business to the Minister for Finance and Administration on 18 February 1998.

The National Procurement Board report for 1997-1998 (covering the period 1 July 1997 to 31 March 1998) is its third and final report. Under the government's new purchasing arrangements, the role fulfilled by the board and the responsibility for purchasing policy have been moved to the Competitive Tendering and Contracting Group in the Department of Finance and Administration.

Assessment as to whether the reports are satisfactory

In the committee's view, all the reports examined on this occasion are `apparently satisfactory' as per Standing Order 25 (21) (a).

Structure of the remainder of the report

In Chapter 2, the committee puts forward its views on annual reporting generally, to assist in the present review of the departmental reporting requirements. In Chapter 3, the committee considers a number of specific issues across the reports it has examined on this occasion: performance information; treatment of consultancies; reporting on service charters; financial statements; and Internet availability. It has also recorded a few general impressions.

Reporting requirements under the Commonwealth Authorities and Companies Act 1997

Although the Commonwealth Authorities and Companies Act 1997 (CAC Act) came into effect on 1 January 1998, orders issued by the minister on 17 August 1998 make it clear that the specific requirements for the report of operations required to be prepared by directors of a Commonwealth authority and included in its annual report would be for annual reports for the year ending 30 June 1999. The committee will closely consider reports prepared according to the CAC Act in its next review of annual reports.