Page 2176 - Week 07 - Wednesday, 3 August 2016
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
We do need to restore faith, Madam Speaker. I would argue that after 15 years the best way to do that is through a change of government essentially to unpick the tangled web that we have. We have reached a point where unpicking it is very difficult. With those relationships and the perception, the lack of trust, really the only way to get around that now is to sweep that away with a change of government. Obviously I will be arguing for that very strongly.
Regardless, we do need to strengthen a number of our mechanisms, processes and structures when it comes to integrity in the ACT. There are a number of options on the table. Mr Rattenbury at the Greens campaign launch on Sunday noted some of these concerns and noted some of the issues that have been raised directly with him. I am disappointed to hear that he has not then passed those on to appropriate authorities but he does accept that a number of issues have been raised with him. He has called for an ICAC. I have to say that we have looked at that as a potential way forward. That is something that I have looked at and I have looked at the way that the structures are established in other jurisdictions.
We have to make sure that we have the model that best suits the ACT in terms of the way that we can move forward. We do have a number of existing structures that have similar powers, which have the ability to conduct investigations. I think that the appropriate way forward at this stage, Madam Speaker, is to reinforce and empower those structures.
What I am calling for today is additional resources for the Auditor-General. I have been reading the report that was tabled yesterday by the Standing Committee on Public Accounts. It tabled its report on the inquiry into the 2016 strategic review of the ACT Auditor-General. The recommendations of the report have called for additional funding for the Auditor-General to conduct performance audits. We welcome that.
But also there is the reality that she has an increasing number of public interest disclosures being made to her. She is only one of two officers in Australia designated as the sector-wide disclosure officer. So the Auditor-General has significant powers and she can make those investigations. But the problem is, as this report makes clear and as we are aware because of the pressure on the Auditor-General’s program, that if she picks up more work in the public disclosure area, which I think is a good thing, resources are being drawn away from performance audits. That is a difficult balance to maintain. Performance audits are a very important part equally of maintaining the faith of the people in this government.
What the PAC report talks about is developing funding models to support the growth in the performance audit program. We support that recommendation, recommendation 5, of this bipartisan report. Recommendation 6 states:
The Committee recommends that the ACT Government provide designated funding for the Auditor-General to discharge statutory responsibilities under the Public Interest Disclosure Act as distinct as funding available for performance audits.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video