Reports by the Auditor-General

In 2018–19, the Australian National Audit Office tabled in Parliament seven reports that involved the Department—five performance audits and two financial statements audits:

• ANAO Report No. 8—Management of Commonwealth Leased Office Property
• ANAO Report No. 9—Procurement Processes and Management of Probity by the Moorebank Intermodal Company
• ANAO Report No. 17—Implementation of the Annual Performance Statements Requirements 2017-18
• ANAO Report No. 19—Audits of the Financial Statements of Australian Government Entities for the Period Ended 30 June 2018
• ANAO Report No. 34—Effectiveness of Board Governance at Old Parliament House
• ANAO Report No. 38—Application of Cost Recovery Principles
• ANAO Report No. 46—Interim Report on Key Financial Controls of Major Entities.

Parliamentary committees

Senate Standing Committee on Finance and Public Administration

The Senate Standing Committees on Finance and Public Administration covers the Prime Minister and Cabinet and Finance portfolios. The work is divided between two committees—the Legislation Committee and the References Committee.

Legislation Committee

Finance appeared before the Legislation Committee at its Senate Estimates hearings on 23 October 2018, 19 February 2019 and 4 and 9 April 2019.

On 18 January 2018, Finance and the Department of Agriculture and Water Resources provided a joint submission to the inquiry into the Future Drought Fund bills.

References Committee

Finance did not appear at the References Committee in 2018–19.

Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit

The Public Accounts and Audit Committee Act 1951 constitutes the Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit (JCPAA). The JCPAA initiates inquiries into public administration matters and can conduct inquiries into matters referred to it by either house of Parliament.

During 2018–19, Finance had a series of engagements with JCPAA as detailed below. Finance provided information to the Committee as part of its ongoing relationship, including responses to questions taken on notice during public hearings and provided in writing:

• On 22 August 2018 and 19 September 2018, Finance attended the inquiry into Commonwealth Financial Statements: Auditor-General’s report No. 24 (2017–18), Audits of Financial Statements of Australian Government Entities for Period Ended 30 June 2018.

In addition to the above matters, JCPAA had an interest in the Independent Review of the PGPA Act and PGPA Rule, which is required under section 112 of the Act.

• On 4 April 2019, a government response was provided to the Independent Review.

Other committees

Finance attended hearings or provided submissions to the following parliamentary committees during 2018–19:

• Senate Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade References Committee—inquiry into the proposed comprehensive and progressive agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (attended 30 July 2018 and 20 August 2018)
• Joint Standing Committee on the National Capital and External Territories—inquiry into Canberra’s National Institutions (attended 24 August 2018)
• Senate Environment and Communications References Committee—inquiry into the Great Barrier Reef 2050 Partnership Program (attended 21 September 2018)
• Senate Select Committee into the Abbott Government's Commission of Audit:
  • Senate Select Committee into the Abbott Government's Commission of Audit: Interim Report (government response provided 4 October 2018)
  • Senate Select Committee into the Abbott Government's Commission of Audit: 2nd Interim Report (government response provided 4 October 2018)
  • Senate Select Committee into the Abbott Government's Commission of Audit: Final Report (government response provided 4 October 2018)
• Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters—inquiry into the proposed amendments to the Electoral Legislation Amendment (Electoral Funding and Disclosure Reform) Bill 2017 (attended 5 October 2018)
  • advisory report on the Electoral Legislation Amendment (Electoral Funding and Disclosure Reform) Bill 2017 (government response provided 14 November 2018)
  • second advisory report into the Electoral Legislation Amendment (Electoral Funding and Disclosure Reform) Bill 2017 (government response provided 14 November 2018)
• Senate Education and Employment Committee—inquiry into the exploitation of general and specialist cleaners working in retail chains for contracting or subcontracting cleaning companies (attended 18 October 2018)
• Senate Committee on Red Tape—inquiry into the policy and process to limit and reduce red tape (submission provided 19 October 2018)
• ​Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters—inquiry into and report on all aspects of the conduct of the 2016 Federal Election and matters related thereto:
  • A Second Interim Report on the Inquiry into the Conduct of the 2016 Federal Election: Foreign donations (government response provided 14 November 2018)
• Joint Standing Committee on the National Broadband Network—Inquiry into the Business Case for the NBN (attended 7 December 2018)​.

Finance’s submissions, responses to questions taken on notice (written and taken during hearings) and the transcripts of committee hearings are available on the Parliament of Australia website.

In addition to attending scheduled hearings, Finance also participated in a number of private briefings with parliamentary committees during the reporting period.

Reports by Commonwealth Ombudsman

In 2018–19, the Commonwealth Ombudsman did not release any reports that involved the Department or that had, or might have, a significant impact on the Department’s operations.