Public Accounts Committee (Tasmania)
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| Public Accounts Committee (Tasmania) | |
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| Name | Public Accounts Committee (Tasmania) |
| Legislature | Parliament of Tasmania |
| Type | Parliamentary committee |
| Formed | 19th century origins |
| Jurisdiction | Tasmania |
| Parent organization | Tasmanian House of Assembly |
Public Accounts Committee (Tasmania) The Public Accounts Committee (Tasmania) is a parliamentary committee in the Parliament of Tasmania tasked with scrutiny of public expenditure and accountability of executive agencies. It operates within the frameworks established by the Tasmanian Constitution, the House of Assembly (Tasmania), and parliamentary practice influenced by traditions from the Westminster system, United Kingdom, New South Wales, Victoria (Australia), and other Australian jurisdictions such as Commonwealth of Australia committees. The committee engages with audit institutions like the Tasmanian Audit Office, the Auditor-General (Australia), and comparable bodies including the Australian National Audit Office and the Public Accounts Committee (United Kingdom).
History
The committee's origins reflect the 19th-century evolution of parliamentary scrutiny from the Board of Audit (Tasmania) and later adaptations following models from the British Parliament and colonial legislatures. Influences include reforms after inquiries such as the Cole Royal Commission frameworks and the development of fiscal oversight seen in the Scotland Act 1998 debates and Australian state practices in Queensland and South Australia. Key historical moments involved interaction with the Auditor-General (Tasmania) reforms, responses to events like the Tasmanian financial crisis (1980s) and administrative reviews prompted by cases similar to the WA Inc controversies and the East Timorese independence financial assistance matters. The committee's procedural evolution parallels changes in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom select committees and innovations from the New Zealand Parliament.
Role and Functions
The committee examines estimates, accounts, and public audits, liaising with the Tasmanian Audit Office and the Auditor-General (Tasmania). It reviews financial statements of departments including Department of Treasury and Finance (Tasmania), Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment (Tasmania), and statutory authorities akin to the Metro Tasmania and Hydro Tasmania. The committee conducts performance scrutiny related to programs influenced by portfolios such as Department of Health (Tasmania), Department of Education (Tasmania), and agencies comparable to the Australian Securities and Investments Commission and Australian Competition and Consumer Commission. It reports to the Parliament of Tasmania and may draw on comparative practice from the Commonwealth Public Accounts Committee and select committees in the Canadian House of Commons.
Membership and Composition
Membership is drawn from members of the Tasmanian House of Assembly with representation reflecting party proportions similar to arrangements in the Senate (Australia) committees and state equivalents in Victoria and New South Wales. Chairs have included members from major parties such as the Liberal Party of Australia (Tasmanian Division), the Australian Labor Party (Tasmanian Branch), and sometimes minor parties like the Tasmanian Greens. Membership interacts with roles such as ministers, opposition spokespeople, and backbenchers, comparable to committee practices in the Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly and the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly.
Procedures and Powers
Procedures follow standing orders of the Tasmanian House of Assembly and draw on precedents from the House of Commons of the United Kingdom and the Australian Senate standing committees. Powers include summoning witnesses, requiring production of documents related to agencies like the Department of Justice (Tasmania), and taking evidence consistent with rights and privileges recognized by the Parliamentary Privileges Act in other jurisdictions. It uses audit reports from the Auditor-General (Tasmania) and may coordinate with bodies such as the Ombudsman (Tasmania), the Anti-Corruption Commission models in other states, and interstate committees investigating fiscal matters.
Major Inquiries and Reports
The committee has produced reports on financial management issues analogous to statewide inquiries into agencies like Hydro Tasmania, infrastructure projects such as those managed by TasNetworks and transport bodies like Metro Tasmania. It has examined procurement controversies comparable to matters investigated by the Commonwealth Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee and drawn attention to accountability failures similar to the WA Inc Royal Commission findings. Major outputs include assessments of budget implementation, program efficacy in health and education sectors involving institutions such as the Royal Hobart Hospital and the University of Tasmania, and reviews of state-owned enterprises.
Relationship with Other Parliamentary Bodies
The committee liaises with the Legislation Committee (Tasmania), the Estimates Committee (Tasmania), and oversight entities such as the Public Accounts and Estimates Committee (Victoria). It coordinates with the Select Committee on Integrity type bodies and the Ombudsman (Tasmania) for complaint handling, and may work alongside federal counterparts like the Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit (Australia). Cross-jurisdictional interaction includes sharing practice with the New South Wales Public Accounts and Estimates Committee and the Western Australian Public Accounts Committee.
Criticisms and Reforms
Criticisms mirror those faced by similar bodies: perceived partisanship seen in debates within the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, limited resourcing analogous to concerns raised in Queensland and South Australia, and constraints in enforceability compared with judicial inquiries such as royal commissions (e.g., Royal Commission into Misconduct in the Banking, Superannuation and Financial Services Industry). Reforms proposed include strengthening mandates like those adopted in the United Kingdom and enhancing transparency and powers comparable to initiatives in the Australian Capital Territory and New South Wales.
Category:Parliament of Tasmania Category:Parliamentary committees in Australia