The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has repeated its call for increased powers for the Auditor-General, in a report tabled in Parliament today.
The Committee has again recommended that the Auditor-General be provided with powers to audit all state government-funded project or services. This would potentially include those delivered by local government and non-government organisations (including private contractors) to its current reach.
The issue becomes increasingly critical as the public sector increasingly outsources to improve choice, effectiveness and innovation in service delivery.
“The Auditor-General should be able to monitor spending of all state taxpayer dollars. At the moment, this cannot happen,” said Committee Chair Jonathan O’Dea MP.
The PAC recommended legislative change a year ago, and a response was due in March, at which time the Government indicated change was being considered. The Auditor-General, Grant Hehir, has echoed the PAC’s call for legislative improvements, encouraging the NSW Government “to act on these recommendations”.[1]
“Despite being repeatedly followed up, Treasury and the Government have still not properly responded. The Government has been unacceptably slow to act. This needs to be a priority for the next Parliament,” Mr O’Dea said.
The Committee restated the recommendation in its summary report on its activities in the current (55th) Parliament.
Further information can be obtained by visiting the Committee’s website at www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/publicaccounts.
