Page 6208 - Week 19 - Tuesday, 17 December 1991
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cases, if the committee considers that action responding to the Auditor's concerns either has been taken or is in train, the committee will not present a written report to the Assembly.
The committee does, however, believe that the Assembly should be advised when this course of action is taken, so that there is no ambiguity concerning the status of the audit reports that have been examined by the committee, and this has been done by way of a statement by the presiding member. In relation to the audit reports listed as current inquiries - that is, the five that I referred to - the committee has sought submissions on all reports and comment from the Auditor-General on all but one submission, the one relating to report No. 8. Public hearings were held in relation to the two efficiency audit reports and a second submission sought from the Housing Trust in relation to the inquiry into report No. 5.
The committee believes that generally the matters referred to by the Auditor-General have been responded to appropriately by the ACT Government Service and that action has been taken or is in train where appropriate. There are some matters, however, that this committee believes should be examined in further detail; but, as the Assembly is drawing to a close, time does not allow a detailed examination of those issues. In particular, the committee believes that the process by which the annual appropriation for the Government Audit Office is determined is a matter for review and recommends that the Public Accounts Committee of the Second Assembly address that issue.
The committee also notes that a number of matters relating to the audit of Health were reported upon in Auditor-General's report No. 7. The committee believes that these matters should be pursued further, and again recommends that the next Public Accounts Committee examine the issues raised.
MR JENSEN (4.01): Very briefly, as my colleague Mr Kaine said, it is a pity that we did not have these before; they are still smoking.
MR DEPUTY SPEAKER: I think you need leave, Mr Jensen. Did you seek leave?
MR JENSEN: No. I believe that I can speak to the - - -
MR DEPUTY SPEAKER: I understand that you cannot.
Mr Kaine: I have not moved any motion.
MR JENSEN: You did not move anything. I seek leave to speak to this matter.
Leave granted.
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