Page 168 - Week 01 - Wednesday, 14 December 2016
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(b) the report commissioned by the Director-General of Economic Development and published on the LDA website by former Commonwealth Auditor-General, Mr Ian McPhee AO PSM, Governance Framework Review Economic Development, Land Development and Procurement and Capital Works Divisions; and
(c) reports in The Canberra Times of 13 September 2016 of the Chief Minister’s announcement, at the ACT Property Council leaders’ debate, of the Government’s intention to create new entities to deliver urban renewal and greenfield land development in the ACT;
(2) notes the Government’s programme of business in the Assembly this Thursday includes the delivering of a Statement regarding its plans for the LDA’s functions and the new urban renewal authority; and
(3) calls on the Government to deliver this Statement.”.
I have to say from the outset that there is no doubt that the conclusions drawn in the recent Auditor-General’s report into particular LDA transactions are serious and they are indeed receiving serious attention. Members will be aware that the LDA is a separate entity with its own governing board. It is responsible for the agency’s operations and performance.
Members would also more than likely be aware, given the publicity during the election campaign, that following the tabling of the Auditor-General’s report, I wrote to the chair of the LDA board seeking urgent advice on the auditor’s findings and expressing my concerns. In response, the chair acknowledged that the processes, practices and lack of record keeping identified by the auditor in her report did indeed need urgent rectification. The LDA has acknowledged the seriousness of the audit findings and the need for significant improvements in process and practice.
In addition to the Auditor-General’s report, many months ago the government commissioned the former commonwealth auditor-general Ian McPhee to review governance frameworks for the LDA and other parts of the Economic Development portfolio. This report is publicly available on the LDA website. It has been for months. The review was commissioned well before this process and was completed some time ago.
It has been the subject of media reporting. Jack Waterford wrote an article on it, Madam Assistant Speaker. I am surprised that the Leader of the Opposition has not seen that. My amendment to his motion firstly notes the fact that the performance audit was undertaken and refers to the earlier commissioning of the former commonwealth auditor-general Ian McPhee to look at not just the LDA but also at procurement and other areas within Economic Development.
That report is publicly available. There is an assertion within the Leader of the Opposition’s motion that the day before the Auditor-General’s report was released I made public comments and announced for the first time that I would institute changes to the LDA. I do not believe that the Leader of the Opposition was at the leaders debate between Mr Hanson and me at the Property Council about three weeks earlier.
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