Introduction
This report deals with decisions by three Ministers not to provide information to Parliament. Those decisions were made by:
- Minister for Transport, the Hon Dean Nalder, on an updated schedule of major transport infrastructure works for Western Australia
- Minister for Planning, the Hon John Day, on the valuation for the East Perth Power Station
- Minister for Tourism, the Hon Kim Hames, on the value of incentives provided on the sale of FESA House.
Section 82 of the Financial Management Act 2006 (FM Act) applies if a Minister decides that it is reasonable and appropriate not to provide certain information to Parliament concerning the conduct of an agency. The Act says the Minister must give written notice of the decision to both Houses of Parliament and the Auditor General within 14 days of the decision.
Section 24 of the Auditor General Act 2006 (AG Act) requires the Auditor General to report to Parliament an opinion ‘as to whether a decision by a Minister to not provide the information to Parliament concerning any conduct or operation of an agency is reasonable and appropriate’.
What Did We Do?
The Audit Practice Statement on our website (www.audit.wa.gov.au) sets out the process we follow to arrive at our section 82 opinions, including:
- a review of agency documents
- communication and interviews with key staff
- a review of any advice provided to the relevant Minister by agencies, the State Solicitors Office (SSO) or other legal advisers.