New Zealand’s Auditor-General working with Parliament to improve scrutiny Inaugural meeting of the Pacific Public Accounts Committees: the relationship with SAIs Gareth Ellis, Assistant Auditor-General, Parliamentary Group

27 August 2015

New Zealand’s Auditor-General

•  Office of Parliament itself, so reports to Parliament •  independent of executive government •  mandatory annual audits of all (3,800) public entities •  very active in the Pacific •  5 year work programme

Good use of public resources

•  resources being used effectively?

•  reported so others know what’s being done?

Cannot comment on government policy

Five-year work programme

Themes in public sector management 2013/14: Service delivery 2014/15: Governance & accountability 2015/16: Investment & asset management 2016/17: Information 2017/18: Water

Parliamentary scrutiny

•  reports and advice

•  working with Parliament to improve parliamentary scrutiny

•  using the Code of Practice, help Parliament to find the key issues within increasing volume of information

Code of Practice

The Code of Practice for the Provision of Assistance by the Auditor-General to the House, select committees and members of Parliament (August 2007)

Questions?