Mr P.J. Barrett (AM) - Auditor-General for Australia, presented at the 2nd Taipai Corporate Governance Forum

Australian Industry Involvement Program. Department of Defence The audit examined the management by Defence of its Australian Industry Involvement (AII) Program. AII is the major program through which Defence gives effect to government policy on Australian industry. The objective of the audit was to assess the extent to which the AII Program has achieved its two policy objectives, which are to :

• develop and sustain strategically important capabilities in Australian industry to support Australian Defence Force operations and Defence capability development; and
• maximise Australian industry involvement in Defence's procurement of goods and services, consistent with the government procurement policy objective of achieving best value for money to the Commonwealth.

Mr P.J. Barrett (AM) - Auditor-General for Australia, presented at the Australian Corporate Lawyers Association and the Australian Institute of Administrative Law Conference on Outsourcing

The audit objective was to assess the effectiveness of the Department of Defence's management of the disposal of specialist military equipment.

Mr P.J. Barrett (AO) - Auditor-General for Australia, an Occasional Paper

Mr P.J. Barrett (AM) - Auditor-General for Australia, presented at the Comcover Seminar

The acting Auditor-General responded on 26 August 2024 to correspondence from the Hon Paul Fletcher MP dated 30 July 2024 and follow-up correspondence dated 14 August 2024, requesting that the Auditor-General conduct an investigation into the investment in PsiQuantum announced by the Australian and Queensland governments on 30 April 2024.

Mr P.J. Barrett (AM) - Auditor-General for Australia, presented to the International Consortium on Governmental Financial Management - Washington

Aviation traffic data plays an important role in informing decisions about the safety of the airways system, including such matters as the need for navigation facilities, communication links, air traffic control towers and rescue/fire fighting services. The objective of the limited scope audit was to examine the accuracy of the data on air traffic movements collected by Airservices Australia.

The overall objective of this audit was to assess the management of the physical protection of Australian missions and staff overseas. The high-level criteria for the audit are set out at Appendix 1 of the report.

The objective of the audit was to review the Department of Veterans' Affairs' management of the outsourcing of its data centre in Sydney from February 1992, specifically with respect to the management of its contractual arrangements. The audit sought to identify the extent to which DVA achieved its objectives of outsourcing and the effectiveness of its management of the arrangement with the supplier.

The audit objective was to assess whether the Australian Electoral Commission appropriately established and managed the contracts for the transportation of completed ballot papers and the Senate scanning solution for the 2016 Federal Election.

Mr P.J. Barrett (AM) - Auditor-General for Australia, presented at the International Quality & Productivity Centre Seminar

The audit reviewed management of the Commonwealth's role in preparing for, and managing, pest and disease emergencies requiring a rapid response. The audit focused on the role of the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry -Australia (AFFA), which is the Commonwealth Department with primary portfolio responsibility for coordinating the national and international response to an emergency. The audit did not address preventative measures such as quarantine and border controls; controlled release of exotic diseases or pests; or emergencies associated with previously known endemic diseases, food safety or chemical residue issues.

The objective of this audit was to assess the effectiveness of the administration of grants for the Try, Test and Learn Fund transition projects.

The objective of the audit was to assess the economy, efficiency and administrative effectiveness, including accountability, of the management of boat people by the Department and the providers of major related services to DIMA such as: the Coastwatch Service within the Australian Customs Service and the Australian Protective Service within the Attorney-General's portfolio. The audit examined key issues in the management of boat people largely from a risk management perspective. The audit conclusions are presented in terms of: the economy, efficiency and administrative effectiveness, including the accountability, of operations; and the administrative functions which support the management of boat people, such as detection, reception of boats and costs.

Tactical fighter operations (TFOs) form the basis of Australia's current military capability to ensure air superiority. Air superiority over the Australian territory and maritime approaches is an essential element in Australia's defence strategy. The audit objectives were to:

• assess whether the resources used to provide the F/A-18 tactical fighter force operational capability are managed cost-effectively; and
• identify areas for improvement in the coordination, planning and practices employed in administration of tactical fighter operations.

Mr P.J. Barrett (AM) - Auditor-General for Australia, presented to the Australasian Council of Auditors-General Conference, Melbourne

Mr P.J. Barrett (AM) - Auditor-General for Australia, presented at a Joint Seminar by IPAA and ASCPAs as part of a Panel Discussion on 'Governance and the Role of the Senior Public Executive', Canberra

Mr P.J. Barrett (AM) - Auditor-General for Australia, presented at the Global Working Group Meeting, Washington

The objective of the audit was to assess the effectiveness and value for money of Defence’s acquisition of light protected vehicles, under Defence project Land 121 Phase 4.

The objective of this audit was to assess whether the Federal Court of Australia is effectively managing the use of corporate credit cards for official purposes in accordance with legislative and entity requirements.

Mr Ian McPhee, PSM - Auditor?General for Australia, Speaking Notes for the IPAA (ACT) Forum, Canberra

Mr P.J. Barrett (AM) - Auditor-General for Australia, addressed the Senior Executive Leadership 20. Canberra.

The main objectives of the audit were to examine and form an opinion on:

• the efficiency, economy and administrative effectiveness with which the Commonwealth planned and coordinated implementation of the gun buy-back scheme;
• the management of firearms surrender and destruction in the Australian Capital Territory by the Australian Federal Police; and
• the management of the competitive tendering process for the national public education campaign.

Audit criteria were developed which examined program policy and planning, coordination with and payment of funds to the States.

The sale raised gross proceeds of $95.4 million, which was at the upper end of the Business Advisor's estimate for the mid-1997 sale. In addition, it should be noted that the principal financial effect for the Commonwealth was not in the proceeds of the sale but in the termination of ongoing revenue supplements and financial losses. The Commonwealth's direct costs of selling the businesses are estimated to be $9.3 million, or 9.7% of gross proceeds. In addition, the Australian National's financial liabilities totalling $1393 million have been or are being repaid or assumed by the Commonwealth.

The objective of the audit was to assess the effectiveness of the Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development’s design and implementation of the first funding round of the Bridges Renewal Programme.

Mr P.J. Barrett (AM) - Auditor-General for Australia, presented at the INTOSAI Working Group

Mr P.J. Barrett (AM) - Auditor-General for Australia, Closing Address for the Institute of Chartered Accountants

The Department of the Treasury (Treasury) manages Australia's relations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and various development banks, including those belonging to the World Bank Group. The audit examined Treasury's management of these obligations. In view of the size of Australia's investments and obligations, the audit focussed on financial management issues.

The objective of the audit was to assess whether the award of funding under the Community Sport Infrastructure Grant Program was informed by an appropriate assessment process and sound advice.

The objective of the audit was to assess whether select Australian Government entities are effectively managing and controlling the use of Commonwealth credit and other transaction cards for official purposes in accordance with legislative and policy requirements.

Mr P.J. Barrett (AM) - Auditor-General for Australia, presented to the PA Congress 1997:'CPAs for Today and Tomorrow', Adelaide

Mr Ian McPhee - Auditor-General for Australia, presented at the Canberra Evaluation Forum, The Lobby, Canberra

The audit reviewed the Defence Materiel Organisation's management of the $3.43 billion Wedgetail Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) project. The Wedgetail project is to provide the Australian Defence Force with an AEW&C capability based on four Boeing 737 AEW&C aircraft and associated supplies and logistic support. At the time of the audit the AEW&C systems were still in their early development phase, and by November 2003, Defence had spent $1.107 billion on the project.

Mr P.J. Barrett (AM) - Auditor-General for Australia, presented to the Conference on 'Surviving the Year 2000 Computer Crisis' Canberra

The objective of this audit was to assess whether the Australian Maritime Safety Authority is effectively managing the Search and Rescue Aircraft contract.

Mr P.J. Barrett (AM) - Auditor-General for Australia, address to the ACT Chapter of the Australasian Institute of Risk Management

Mr P.J. Barrett (AM) - Auditor-General for Australia, presented at the Global Working Group Meeting, Wellington, New Zealand

Mr P.J. Barrett (AM) - Auditor-General for Australia, presented at the Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA) - Australia SOPAC ?98 The IIA - Australia, South Pacific and Asia Conference

The objective of this follow-up audit was to assess whether Defence had taken appropriate action on recommendations made in the ANAO's 1995 audit report on Management Audit Branch (MAB), which is responsible for internal audit in Defence, and to assess whether the internal audit function in Defence could be improved.

The audit objective was to assess the effectiveness of the management of the Australian Public Service (APS) workforce in implementing the Australian Government’s COVID-19 priorities.

The audit reviewed the accountability framework and performance information of the Australian Sports Commission (ASC). The objective of the audit was to form an opinion on the efficiency and effectiveness of the ASC: accountability arrangements, focussing on key stakeholders such as the Minister and the Parliament; and management information systems, focussing on performance information, in particular key performance indicators; and its use in resource allocation decision-making.

The objective of this audit was to assess the effectiveness of the design process for the Energy Price Relief Plan.

Mr P.J. Barrett (AM) - Auditor-General for Australia, presented at the 1999 ACPAC Biennial Conference Commercial Confidentiality - Striking the Balance

The audit reviewed the fraud control arrangements in the Department of Family and Community Services (FaCS), a policy formulation, and advising body and major purchaser of social welfare services from Centrelink. The objective was to assess whether FaCS had:

• implemented appropriate fraud control arrangements in line with the Fraud Control Policy of the Commonwealth and that these arrangements operated effectively in practice; and
• fulfilled its responsibilities as a purchaser of services in relation to fraud control.

This audit is one in a series of fraud control audit and is complemented by a similar audit of Centrelink, a major provider of services on behalf of FaCS.

The audit reviewed the effectiveness of HIC's approach to customer service delivery to the Australian public as customers of Medicare. The primary issues examined were whether: . HIC manages its customer service delivery performance effectively;

• HIC's approach to people management adequately supports customer service delivery;
• HIC obtains adequate information from customers on their needs, expectations, and perceptions of HIC's service delivery; and
• HIC provides adequate information to customers on its services and on the service standards that customers should expect.

Mr Mr Ian McPhee - Auditor-General for Australia, presented at the CPA Australia 2013 International Public Sector Convention

Mr P.J. Barrett (AM) - Auditor-General for Australia, presented to the National Public Sector Accountants Conference; Sydney

Members of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) have informal and formal complaint mechanisms available to them to address grievances. Initially, members are advised to seek resolution of their complaint at the lowest possible level, through the normal command channels and administrative arrangements. A member who is not satisfied that a complaint has been resolved in this manner may use the Redress of Grievance (ROG) system to submit a formal complaint to the commanding officer of the member's unit. The objective of this audit was to ascertain whether the ROG system could be refined to improve the efficiency and timeliness of processing of complaints while preserving the equity and transparency the current system provides.The Redress of Grievance system is clearly time-consuming and resource intensive. Some grievances have taken as long as four years to resolve. Some could be resolved by administrative means rather than through recourse to grievance processes. The system contains various inefficiencies that detract from its cost-effectiveness from the viewpoint of the ADF and individual members. In addition many members are unaware of the system or do not have a high level of confidence in its effectiveness.

Mr P.J. Barrett (AM) - Auditor-General for Australia, presented at the Australian Government Solicitor Seminar

Mr P.J. Barrett (AM) - Auditor-General for Australia, presented at the Medibank Private Executive Seminar Breakfast, Perth

Mr P.J. Barrett (AM) - Auditor-General for Australia, presented at the 1999 Department of Employment, Training and Industrial Relations Biennial Risk Management Conference, Brisbane

Mr P.J. Barrett (AM) - Auditor-General for Australia, presented to the Senior Staff of the Board of Audit - Tokyo, Japan

The objectives of the audit were to: assess compliance with the Stevedoring Levy (Collection) Act 1998 and Stevedoring Levy (Imposition) Act 1998 and other relevant legislation; assess the effectiveness of the administrative and financial controls regarding the collection of the Stevedoring Levy by DoTRS and the provision of redundancy payments to eligible employees of stevedoring companies and the management of the funding of those payments by way of borrowings by MIFCo; and review the administrative efficiency of the redundancy payment and Stevedoring Levy collection aspects of the waterfront redundancy scheme.

The objective of the audit was to determine the extent to which the new employment services market had been implemented effectively and efficiently in accordance with announced Government policy and timeframe.

The objective of the audit was to assess key aspects of the Australian Taxation Office's administration of the PAYE system in relation to employers' remittances and to identify opportunities for improvement. The audit focussed on four areas:

• remittance monitoring, especially managing late remittances;
• follow-up action for end of year reconciliation, including discrepancies;
• handling compliance intelligence gained from the public; and
• ATO compliance projects.

Mr Ian McPhee - Auditor-General for Australia, presented at the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia, Audit Conference, Melbourne

The objective of the audit was to assess the effectiveness of the Department of Health's strategies for managing a communicable disease emergency.

The objective of the audit was to assess whether appropriate steps were taken to protect the Commonwealth’s interests and obtain value for money in respect to the:

• approval of $1.5 billion in Commonwealth funding for stage one of the East West Link project, and the June 2014 payment of $500 million of this funding; and
• approval of $1.5 billion in Commonwealth funding for stage two of the East West Link project, and the June 2014 payment of $1 billion of this funding.