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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)

Chair

Mr Robert Oakeshott MP

 

Deputy Chair

Mrs Yvette D’Ath MP

 

Members

The Hon Dick Adams MP

Senator Guy Barnett (until 30/06/11)

 

Mr Jamie Briggs MP

Senator Mark Bishop

 

Ms Gai Brodtmann MP

Senator Annette Hurley (until 30/06/11)

 

Mr Darren Cheeseman MP

Senator Helen Kroger

 

Mr Josh Frydenberg MP

Senator Glenn Sterle

 

Ms Deb O’Neill MP

 

 

Ms Laura Smyth MP

 

 

The Hon Alexander Somlyay MP

 

42nd Parliament (2010-11)

Chair

Ms Sharon Grierson MP

 

Deputy Chair

Mr Petro Georgiou MP

 

Members

The Hon Dick Adams MP

Senator Guy Barnett

 

The Hon Arch Bevis MP

Senator Mark Bishop

 

The Hon Bronwyn Bishop MP

Senator David Feeney

 

Mr David Bradbury MP

Senator Helen Kroger

 

Mr Jamie Briggs MP

Senator Kate Lundy

 

Ms Catherine King MP

 

 

The Hon Sussan Ley MP

 

 

Mr Shayne Neumann MP

 

Committee Secretariat

43rd Parliament (2010-11)

Secretaries

Mr Russell Chafer (until 02/02/11)

Mr David Brunoro (from 03/02/11)

Inquiry Secretaries

Ms Pauline Cullen (until 02/01/11)

Ms Penny Wijnberg

Ms Stephanie Mikac (until 29/04/11)

Dr Narelle McGlusky (from 24/03/11)

Senior Research Officers

Dr Narelle McGlusky (until 23/03/11)

Ms Lynette Mollard (from 28/06/11)

Research Officer

Ms Fiona Gardner

Administrative Officers

Mrs Dorota Cooley (from 01/04/11)

Ms Katrina Gillogly (from 06/06/11)

42nd Parliament (2010-11)

Secretary

Mr Russell Chafer

Inquiry Secretaries

Ms Pauline Cullen

Dr Kris Veenstra

Senior Research Officer

Dr Narelle McGlusky

List of abbreviations

ACPAC

Australasian Council of Public Accounts Committees

ANAO

Australian National Audit Office

APS

Australian Public Service

ATO

Australian Taxation Office

CDS

Commonwealth Disability Strategy

JCPAA

Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit

MPR

Major Projects Report

PAAC Act

Public Accounts and Audit Committee Act 1951

PAC

Public Accounts Committee

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]

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or e-mail:jcpaa@aph.gov.au
Last reviewed 19 December, 2012 by the Committee Secretariat
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