AUDITOR-GENERAL GETS “THUMBS UP” IN STRATEGIC REVIEW

Media Release

8 June 2016

Speaker of the ACT Legislative Assembly, Vicki Dunne, today tabled the report of the once-a-term strategic review of the ACT Audit Office.

“This review, conducted by an independent eminently-qualified consultant, paints the Audit Office in a very positive light,” said Mrs Dunne. “It provides assurance to the Assembly and the people of the ACT they are getting a good, effective and efficient service from a group of hard-working, committed people.”

The reviewer, Mr Des Pearson AO, was an auditor-general in Victoria and Western Australia and has worked as a senior executive in the Commonwealth, Northern Territory and ACT public sectors. He also has undertaken a range of governance, accountability and performance reporting consultancies including external reviews of audit offices and peer reviews of individual audits and reports.

“In his report, Mr Pearson made a number of observations and recommendations and I am pleased that the Audit Office has received them all positively,” Mrs Dunne said. “In some cases, the office has implemented them already.

“There are some for the Assembly too, including reinstating in legislation a term of appointment for the Auditor-General. This dropped out inadvertently when the Auditor-General was made an officer of the Assembly.

“As well, there are suggestions about the Audit Office’s financial capacity to handle public interest disclosures and to expand its program of performance audits.

“With these in mind, I will be moving to refer the report to the relevant Assembly committees for inquiry and report back to the Assembly.

“Perhaps to underscore the success of the Audit Office, CPA Australia, on 26 May, presented the Auditor-General with a certificate pronouncing the ACT Audit Office a ‘Recognised Employer Partner’. This recognition extends for four years from 15 February 2016. I congratulate the Audit Office on this recognition.

“In receiving this report, I commend the Audit Office on the good work they do on behalf of the Assembly and for the people of Canberra,” Mrs Dunne concluded.

ENDS