Page 2914 - Week 10 - Thursday, 15 August 1991
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PUBLIC ACCOUNTS - STANDING COMMITTEE
Report on the Review of Auditor-General's
Report No. 1 of 1991
MR KAINE (Leader of the Opposition) (4.08): Mr Speaker, I present report No. 5 of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts on the Review of the Auditor-General's Report No. 1 of 1991, together with extracts of the relevant minutes of proceedings. I move:
That the report be noted.
As members are aware, the terms of reference of the Public Accounts Committee require that committee to examine all reports of the Auditor-General which have been laid before the Assembly. On 14 February 1991 the first report of the ACT Auditor-General was presented to the Assembly. Following the presentation of that report, the Assembly formally referred it to the Public Accounts Committee for inquiry and report. The examination of this report began under the chairmanship of Ms Follett and has continued with the reconstituted committee of 21 June 1991.
I would like to begin by commending the Auditor-General for providing an excellent report and drawing the Assembly's attention to inadequacies in the ACT Government Service. The audit report made comment on a number of important matters affecting public accountability and public sector management. A number of areas of concern to the Auditor-General, and, I might add, to the committee, were highlighted.
The committee decided in this inquiry and report to focus on the general question of accountability, with specific reference to financial accountability within the ACT Government Service. The issues highlighted in the report included: Delays in providing a number of administrative and financial delegations and determinations as they relate to the duties of the Auditor-General and the operation of the Government Audit Office; delays in issuing financial statement guidelines; delays in the preparation of financial statements and their presentation to the Auditor-General for audit; the conferring of benefits on the unentitled; delays in the completion of a formal agreement with Westpac over banking arrangements; deficiencies in the financial management of the Bruce Stadium; and the status of matters previously referred to in Commonwealth Auditor-General's reports prior to self-government.
On administrative and financial delegations, the Auditor-General commented on delays in providing personnel delegations to him, despite repeated requests. The committee is concerned that it took some 23 months following self-government for a draft proposal for revised and, in some cases, new delegations to be circulated amongst agency heads. Further, the committee is concerned that delegations were not revised following changes to administrative arrangements at the time of self-government.
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