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Parliamentary Joint Committee on Public Accounts and Audit
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Preliminary pages
Foreword
I am pleased to present the 2010-11 annual report of the
Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit (JCPAA). This annual report is
issued pursuant to section 8B of the Public Accounts and Audit Committee Act
1951, and, in effect, is an account of the activities undertaken by the newly
formed JCPAA, since the commencement of the 43rd Parliament.[1]
The Committee’s activities throughout 2010-11 were guided by
the Committee’s broad set of duties, which include:
- examining the
financial affairs of authorities of the Commonwealth;
- considering the
operation and resources of the Australian National Audit Office (ANAO), and examining
all reports of the Auditor-General that are tabled in Parliament;
- approving or rejecting
any nomination for appointment of any person to the office of the
Auditor-General or Independent Auditor of the ANAO; and
- increasing
parliamentary and public awareness of the financial and related operations of
government.
In 2010-11 the Committee published two significant reports
on the Auditor‑General’s powers and role: Inquiry into the
Auditor-General Act 1997; and Role of the Auditor-General in
Scrutinising Government Advertising.[2] The Committee made 13
recommendations to improve the adequacy of the Auditor-General’s powers for the
current public sector environment. These recommendations, if fully implemented,
will enhance the power of the Auditor-General to ‘follow the dollar’ ensuring
that Commonwealth funding is fully accounted for and that the taxpayer is
receiving value for money.
The Committee continued its ongoing reviews of ANAO reports
including inquiries into audit reports on the Green Loans Program, Home
Insulation Program and Direct Source Procurement.
The recommendations contained in the Committee’s reports
will support continued enhancements in the administration of government funds.
Other substantive work by the Committee included:
- commencement of a
policy inquiry into National Funding Agreements;
- review of the 2009-10
“Major Projects Report”, compiled by the Defence Materiel Organisation and the
ANAO; and
- enhanced scrutiny of tax
administration issues.
The JCPAA performs an important role within a parliamentary
democracy. The information presented in this report shows the ongoing
commitment of the Committee to ensure scrutiny of the use of public resources, to
hold to account Commonwealth agencies’ expenditure of public monies, and, to
drive for improvements in public administration.
Robert Oakeshott MP
Chair
Membership of the Committee
43rd Parliament (2010-11)
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Chair
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Mr Robert Oakeshott MP
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Deputy
Chair
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Mrs Yvette D’Ath MP
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Members
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The Hon Dick Adams MP
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Senator Guy Barnett (until
30/06/11)
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Mr Jamie Briggs MP
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Senator Mark Bishop
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Ms Gai Brodtmann MP
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Senator Annette Hurley (until 30/06/11)
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Mr Darren Cheeseman MP
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Senator Helen Kroger
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Mr Josh Frydenberg MP
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Senator Glenn Sterle
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Ms Deb O’Neill MP
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Ms Laura Smyth MP
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The Hon Alexander Somlyay MP
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42nd Parliament (2010-11)
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Chair
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Ms Sharon Grierson MP
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Deputy
Chair
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Mr Petro Georgiou MP
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Members
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The Hon Dick Adams MP
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Senator Guy Barnett
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The Hon Arch Bevis MP
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Senator Mark Bishop
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The Hon Bronwyn Bishop MP
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Senator David Feeney
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Mr David Bradbury MP
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Senator Helen Kroger
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Mr Jamie Briggs MP
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Senator Kate Lundy
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Ms Catherine King MP
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The Hon Sussan Ley MP
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Mr Shayne Neumann MP
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Committee Secretariat
43rd Parliament (2010-11)
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Secretaries
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Mr Russell Chafer (until 02/02/11)
Mr David Brunoro (from 03/02/11)
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Inquiry
Secretaries
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Ms Pauline Cullen (until 02/01/11)
Ms Penny Wijnberg
Ms Stephanie Mikac (until 29/04/11)
Dr Narelle McGlusky (from 24/03/11)
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Senior
Research Officers
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Dr Narelle McGlusky (until 23/03/11)
Ms Lynette Mollard (from 28/06/11)
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Research
Officer
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Ms Fiona Gardner
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Administrative
Officers
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Mrs Dorota Cooley (from 01/04/11)
Ms Katrina Gillogly (from 06/06/11)
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42nd Parliament (2010-11)
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Secretary
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Mr Russell Chafer
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Inquiry
Secretaries
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Ms Pauline Cullen
Dr Kris Veenstra
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Senior
Research Officer
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Dr Narelle McGlusky
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List of abbreviations
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ACPAC
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Australasian Council of Public
Accounts Committees
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ANAO
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Australian National Audit Office
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APS
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Australian Public Service
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ATO
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Australian Taxation Office
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CDS
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Commonwealth Disability Strategy
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JCPAA
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Joint Committee of Public
Accounts and Audit
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MPR
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Major Projects Report
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PAAC Act
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Public Accounts and Audit
Committee Act 1951
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PAC
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Public Accounts Committee
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At a glance – 2010-11
The 2010-11 financial year largely represented the
commencement of work by the Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit
(JCPAA) for the 43rd Parliament. Among its activities, the JCPAA
tabled a total of five reports. Two of these reports completed major inquires commenced
by the JCPAA in the 42nd Parliament[3]: Inquiry into the
Auditor-General Act 1997; and Role of the Auditor-General in Scrutinising
Government Advertising.[4] Another of these reports,
Review of Auditor‑General’s Reports Nos. 04 to 38, (2009/10)
presented the previous Committee’s detailed examination of nine Auditor-General
reports.[5]
The Committee made 18 recommendations across these three
reports.[6] All of the
recommendations that required a response by 30 June 2011, had been submitted
and completed by the appropriate agency.
Based on the recommendations of the Committee’s inquiry into
the Auditor‑General Act 1997, a Private Members Bill was
introduced into the Parliament to amend the powers of the Auditor-General. The Auditor‑General
Amendment Bill 2011 allows for expanded jurisdiction for the Auditor‑General,
including the authority to ‘follow the money trail from the point of receipt to
the point of delivery’.[7] The Parliament is
currently debating this bill.
In February 2011, the JCPAA also commenced a major inquiry
into National Funding Agreements. As at 30 June, 11 submissions had been
received and one public hearing had taken place with an additional four
scheduled for 2011-12.[8]