Page 1775 - Week 05 - Wednesday, 5 May 2010
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effective, which is what we should be after from an auditor. The last paragraph of page 40 is an analysis of whether the reports are well balanced:
In my opinion the Office’s performance audit reports satisfy all reasonable criteria for good reporting.
So we are getting good reports. The paragraph continues:
They were well-structured and the layout and language used made for easy reading. Findings and recommendations were clearly expressed, as was the rationale for each audit having been undertaken.
We are getting value for money, we are getting good reports out of them, they are clear and easy to understand. It would appear the only person who does not understand them or like them, of course, is the Chief Minister.
But what about the Auditor-General’s relationship with the people she undertakes these audits of and for? We go across to section 6.2, “Relationship with Audit Clients”, on page 42:
The chief executives I interviewed were generally complementary about the Office.
Almost unanimously they indicated that they had few if any issues with the way the Office undertook its financial audit work.
Even the people the audit office and the Auditor-General deal with say they like the way she does the job. That is to the credit of the auditor’s staff. We go across to timeliness on page 46 under “Benchmarking”. The finding is:
The Office has one of the best records of all state and territory audit offices for completing its financial audit reports in a timely manner. Where it has not completed an audit according to its own timing benchmarks, this has largely been due to the agency concerned being late in submitting its financial report.
It keeps to its benchmarks. The standards that it sets are met. Again, that is to the credit of the way the office is ordered and structured and its use of the resources. That is certainly not the impression the Chief Minister presented. The finding under “Timeliness and Cost of Performance Audits” on page 49 states:
Despite the difficulties associated with high levels of staff turnover, the Office has a consistently good record in completing its performance audits in a short timeframe and at an average cost significantly below other jurisdictions.
They are cost effective. Rather than being overfunded and fat, as the Chief Minister has tried to portray, they are actually cost effective. They are bringing in these reports at an average cost significantly lower than other jurisdictions.
I have only had a cursory glance at the report. There is plenty in it. There are suggestions for improvement. I do not think the auditor has ever said that they could not improve on what they are doing. But I think it debunks and refutes the Chief
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