31 August 2004
AUDITOR GENERAL’S OFFICE HELPS BUILD A MORE ACCOUNTABLE AND BETTER PERFORMING WA PUBLIC SECTOR
In his annual report on the operations of his Office during 2003-04, WA Auditor General Des Pearson has commended his staff on a collective effort that ensured Parliament was given a comprehensive and detailed picture of public sector performance and kept informed on a wide spectrum of accountability issues.
Through its core operations during the year the Office of the Auditor General undertook 382 audits of public sector agencies’ financial statements and performance indicators, conducted 11 Controls, Compliance and Accountability Examinations, seven Performance Examinations and two Follow-up Examinations – thereby identifying 112 matters of significance that were reported to Parliament in 12 reports.
In the report Mr Pearson comments that whilst it was not always easy to measure the direct impact of the Office’s operations, it was evident from the Parliamentary, agency and public reaction to his reports that the Office had made a difference to improving accountability across the public sector, to the way agencies are managed and operate, to the way issues of public interest are addressed, and to the way the public perceives the operations of the public sector at large.
“Undoubtedly our reports can have broad reach and impact, acting as a catalyst for new initiatives or generating public discussion,” he states.
As an example of this he cites the impact of just three of the 12 reports tabled in 2003-04 – the report on the long-term business sustainability of Rottnest Island which prompted the formation of a Ministerial Taskforce to establish a clear plan for solving the Island’s current problems; the report on patients waiting for elective surgery that resulted in positive action to reduce the waitlists; and the report on the management of State Agreements that is resulting in renewed efforts to remove over $40million per year in iron ore royalty concessions.
The year, though, was not without its stresses and challenges, Mr Pearson says.
Ongoing structural changes in the public sector continued to impact on the core business of his Office, affecting both the number and complexity of audits undertaken, whilst the demand for independent and impartial information on accountability and performance from Parliament and the public also continued to grow, with a steady rise in the in the number of specific requests for investigation or review across a diverse range of audit and accountability concerns.
That his staff were able to meet these challenges and attain all organisational goals is a credit to them and ensured that WA taxpayers good value for the $10.8 million expended by his Office, he states.
Here, too, he commends the Government for recognising the challenges confronting the Office by accepting a request for additional funding.
An $800,000 boost to the Office’s budget will provide the resources and necessary flexibility to address the increased expectations of the role of external audit, strengthen and streamline the assurance function, enable reporting of additional major performance examinations, and assist in the rebuilding of staff expertise.
Ends/.
Media Contact: Peter Villiers, Manager Reporting and Communications
Tel: (08) 9222 7558. Mobile: 0417 936 171 Fax: (08) 9322 5664
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