Public Hearing into the Defence Major Projects Report

PARLIAMENT's Joint Public Accounts and Audit Committee (JCPAA) will conduct a public hearing to examine the joint Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) and Defence Materiel Organisation (DMO) Major Projects Report (MPR) 2013-14.

Having opened the inquiry into the MPR on 18 December 2014, the Committee will now examine witnesses from the Department of Defence, the DMO and the ANAO in order to investigate further the issues raised by the report.

Committee Chair, Dr Andrew Southcott MP, said that major Defence equipment projects remain the subject of considerable parliamentary and public interest, in view of their high cost, contribution to national security and the challenges involved in completing them within budget, on time and to the required level of capability.

“This is the seventh MPR produced by the ANAO and DMO and the Committee remains committed to seeing that, when it comes to Defence procurement, Australian tax-payers’ money is being spent wisely,” Dr Southcott said.

“The JCPAA’s on-going work has been very important in the MPR’s development.  Our efforts actively contribute to greater efficiencies in terms of current Defence projects as well as helping inform government on the best way to approach new Defence acquisitions, such as the Future Submarine project.”

Further information about the Committee’s inquiry, including details on how to lodge a submission, are available on the Committee’s website at: www.aph.gov.au/jcpaa.

Details for the hearings are as follows:
Date and time Friday, 27 February 2015, 9.30am – 11.30am
Venue:  Committee Room 1R2, Parliament House, Canberra.

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