Chapter 1 Introduction

Adoption of inquiry

1.1                   On 28 November 2012, the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Agriculture, Resources, Fisheries and Forestry resolved to inquire into the 2011-12 Annual Report of the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation (RIRDC).  

1.2                   Standing Order 215(c) of the House of Representatives allows a standing committee appointed by the House to:

… make any inquiry it wishes to make into annual reports of government departments and authorities and reports of the Auditor-General presented to the House.[1]

The Committee’s inquiry

1.3                   Following the adoption of the Committee’s inquiry, the Committee wrote to inform the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry that the inquiry would be conducted and that Departmental and Corporation witnesses would be called to give evidence.

1.4                   The Committee held a public hearing for the inquiry on 13 March 2013 in Canberra at which representatives of the Department and RIRDC appeared. Details of witnesses who appeared before the Committee are in Appendix A.