In accordance with the Committee’s terms of resolution of establishment all reports of the Auditor-General presented to the Legislative Assembly for the ACT are referred to the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) for examination.

Procedures the Public Accounts Committee adopts in examining reports of the Auditor-General

A summary of the current procedures the ACT Standing Committee on Public Accounts (ACT PAC) adopts in examining reports of the ACT Auditor-General is available here.

Government Guidelines for responding to Auditor-General’s Reports

The Government has issued guidelines for responding to performance audit reports by the Auditor-General in April 2016. The guidelines are available at: https://www.cmtedd.act.gov.au/policystrategic/cabinet/assembly-liaison

Auditor-General’s Reports referred to the Public Accounts Committee  - Ninth Assembly

View Auditor-General's Reports from ACT Audit Office

At its meeting of 13 December 2016 the Legislative Assembly resolved to create:

"A Standing Committee on Public Accounts to:

• examine:
  • the accounts of the receipts and expenditure of the Australian Capital Territory and its authorities; and
  • all reports of the Auditor-General which have been presented to the Assembly;
• report to the Assembly any items or matters in those accounts, statements and reports, or any circumstances connected with them, to which the Committee is of the opinion that the attention of the Assembly should be directed; and
• inquire into any question in connection with the public accounts which is referred to it by the Assembly and to report to the Assembly on that question."

On 26 October 2017 the Legislative Assembly resolved to amend:

"Insert after (i)(A), the words:

(AA) matters relating to market and regulatory reform (excluding Access Canberra), public sector management, taxation an revenue."

Strategic Review of ACT Auditor-General 2020

Under the Auditor-General Act 1996 a strategic review of the Auditor-General must be carried out in each term of the Legislative Assembly for the ACT (s24(1)).

The strategic review is a review of the Auditor-General's functions and a performance audit of the Auditor-General (ss 23(a) & (b)).

The Speaker of the Assembly and the Standing Committee on Public Accounts both play a part in the strategic review process.

The Speaker:

• at the request of the Committee (ss 25, 26), engages the Strategic Reviewer;
• receives the Strategic Reviewer's report (s 29(1)); and
• presents a copy of the report to the Legislative Assembly (s 29(3)).

The Standing Committee:

• decides when the strategic review will be conducted (s 24(1));
• decides terms of reference, in consultation with the relevant minister (s 26(1)(a)(i)); and
• asks the Strategic Reviewer to conduct the review according to the terms of reference (s 26(1)(a)(ii)).

The Report on the 2020 Strategic Review of the ACT Auditor-General, conducted by Mr Des Pearson AO, and tabled in the ACT legislative Assembly on 20 February 2020, view report (PDF, 2MB).

For previous reports of Strategic Review of the ACT Auditor-General, please visit ACT Audit-General website.