Page 2806 - Week 08 - Thursday, 11 August 2016
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Importantly, a report such as this provides committees with an opportunity to account for the important role they have been delegated. Whilst not a report, this statement, in part, goes some way towards taking the form of a legacy report on behalf of the public accounts committee.
The committee has had a significant workload and level of activity during the course of the Eighth Assembly. Amongst other things, it has tabled 32 reports containing 351 recommendations and extending over 2,000 pages. As at 8 August 2016, with regard to its 351 recommendations, the government has agreed to 153, agreed in part to eight, agreed in principle to 30, did not agree to 36 and noted 79 recommendations.
Of the 32 reports, 19 related to inquiries into reports of the Auditor-General, nine addressed matters referred to the committee by the Legislative Assembly, two addressed the committee’s participation in activities of the Australasian Council of Public Accounts Committees and two arose from self-referred inquiries. Of particular note were the committee’s inquiries into the proposed Mr Fluffy Appropriation (Loose-fill Asbestos Insulation Eradication) Bill 2014-15 and elements impacting on the future of the ACT clubs sector.
With regard to reports of the Auditor-General, which are automatically referred to the committee, during the Eighth Assembly 39 Auditor-General reports were referred. Of these 39 reports, the committee inquired into 31 and reported on the outcomes of its inquiries either by a report or a 246A statement. The committee also held further inquiries into four reports.
Nevertheless, due to time constraints the committee is yet to complete its inquiries into four referred Auditor-General’s reports. Should the committee be unable to complete its inquiries, the following Auditor-General’s reports will stand referred to the Ninth Assembly’s Standing Committee on Public Accounts: report No 3 of 2016, ACT Policing arrangement; report No 4 of 2016, the management of the financial arrangements for the delivery of the Mr Fluffy loose-fill asbestos insulation eradication scheme; report No 5 of 2016, initiation of the light rail project; and report No 6 of 2016, management and administration of credit cards by ACT government entities.
As chair of the committee, I would like to take this opportunity to thank my committee colleagues: the deputy chair, Ms Joy Burch, and Mr Jayson Hinder and Mr Alistair Coe for their commitment to the work of the committee. Throughout the course of the Assembly, the committee has undergone a number of membership changes. So I would also like to thank the following former members for their contribution to the work of the committee: Mr Brendan Smyth, Ms Mary Porter, Ms Meegan Fitzharris, Ms Yvette Berry, Dr Chris Bourke, and Mr Zed Seselja.
The committee in particular wishes to make special mention of two longstanding former members of the committee and the Assembly who retired during the course of this Assembly. The committee wishes to acknowledge and thank both Mr Smyth and Ms Porter for serving as chair and deputy chair respectively and for their commitment to the important work of the committee, in particular their expertise and wise counsel during their time on the committee.
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