THE Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit (JCPAA) will hear from a range of entities this coming Friday, November 15, as part of its inquiry into the use and governance of artificial intelligence systems by public sector entities.

Chair of the JCPAA, Linda Burney MP, said, "It is critical that overarching frameworks are in place to support public sector entities while they consider how they may best use emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence.

"Our inquiry has so far received submissions from a range of entities describing their current and planned use of these technologies. The committee looks forward to speaking with key entities and policy owners to determine how whole-of-government frameworks are operating and whether improvements need to be made.’

Hearing program

Friday 15 November 2024
Committee Room 1R3
Parliament House

9am - Policy roundtable

Department of Finance
Attorney-General’s Department
Department of Home Affairs
Australian Signals Directorate
Australian National Audit Office             

11am - AI in Government Taskforce roundtable

Department of Industry, Science and Resources
Digital Transformation Agency
Australian National Audit Office

12pm - Commonwealth Ombudsman

12.45pm - Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation

1.30pm - Close

Further details of the inquiry – including the submissions received and public hearings – are available on the inquiry website.

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AS PART of its inquiry into nuclear power generation in Australia, the House of Representatives Select Committee on Nuclear Energy will conduct multiple public hearings and site visits in Queensland from November 12 to 15.

The committee will visit Biloela, Nanango and Brisbane. Committee Chair, Dan Repacholi MP, the Federal Member for Hunter, said, “The committee has prioritised visiting towns that have been earmarked for potential nuclear plants so that we have a firsthand understanding of the communities that may be impacted.

“The future of Australia’s energy supply is of critical, national significance. We are eager to hear from a range of stakeholders about the opportunities, logistics and impacts of potentially deploying nuclear power in Australia.”

The hearings can be accessed online.

The committee will be holding further public hearings in Victoria, South Australia, New South Wales and Western Australia in December 2024. 

Programs for all hearings and further information about the inquiry,  including the inquiry terms of reference are available on the committee’s website.

The Select Committee on Nuclear Energy is seeking submissions by Friday, November 15.

Public hearing details

Date: Wednesday 13 November 2024
Time: 8:30am – 12:15pm (AEST) (approximately)
Location: Biloela ANZAC Memorial Club, 94 Callide St, Biloela QLD.

Date: Thursday, 14 November 2024
Time: 8:30am –12:15pm (AEST) (approximately)
Location: Nanango Services Club, 24-26 Henry St, Nanango QLD.

Date: Friday 15 November 2024
Time: 8am – 2:45pm (AEST) (approximately)
Location: Hotel Grand Chancellor Brisbane, 23 Leichardt St, Spring Hill QLD.

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OVER THE NEXT two days, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Milton Dick MP is in Central Queensland with the Leader of the Nationals, David Littleproud MP, as part of the Parliament in Schools program.

Students will learn about federation, democracy and the Australian Parliament, as well as hear first-hand from the Speaker and their local member on what a typical day looks like in their electorate and when they are in Parliament House for sitting weeks.

With the Leader of the Nationals, the Speaker will visit:

• Longreach State High School, Longreach;
• Muttaburra State School, Muttaburra;
• Longreach School of Distance Education, Longreach;
• Longreach State School, Longreach (including Ilfracombe State School, Isisford State School and Stonehenge State School who will attend on the day); and
• Our Lady’s Catholic Primary School, Longreach.

“Since I launched this program, I have visited over 135 schools across Australia – from King Island to Far North Queensland to Nullagine, and now to Longreach," Mr Dick said.

“The Parliament in Schools program is an integral part of improving civics education across Australia.

“These students are our future leaders, and it is important that we equip them with the information and tools they need, to go on to be active and engaged citizens.”

About the Parliament in Schools program

Launched in September 2022, the Parliament in Schools program is a bi-partisan initiative to make civics education accessible to students regardless of their location. In collaboration with local federal members, the Speaker is visiting schools across Australia to bring parliament to them.

The program is an extension to well-established PEO onsite, digital and outreach education programs available to schools across Australia.

It also complements the existing PEO online and print resources that are curriculum-aligned, for Australian teachers and students.

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CHARTERED ACOUNTANTS ANZ (CA ANZ) has acknowledged the work of the Parliamentary Joint Committee into Ethics and Professional Accountability: Structural Challenges in the Audit, Assurance and Consultancy Industry and has engaged extensively with the committee through appearances, submissions and responding to questions on notice.

"The committee’s report is extensive and requires time to be carefully considered," a CA ANZ spokesperson said. "On initial review, we are pleased to see some recommendations echo our own Going Further roadmap. 

"In particular, the strengthening of resourcing and effectiveness of the chief government auditor regulator, Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC), and other bodies such as the Companies Auditors Disciplinary Board, as well as recommendations in relation to whistleblowers and whistleblower protections.

"We also welcome recommendations focused on improving accountability and transparency of large firms. Enhancing the reporting and governance obligations of large professional services firms is also a central tenant of our roadmap to enhancing trust and accountability within the profession," the spokesperson said.

"Protecting the term ‘accountant’ with legislation (Recommendation 27), so that only qualified accountants who are members of a professional body can use it, is a very positive step to safeguarding our profession and points to the valuable role our members play in the Australian economy.

"However, there are also recommendations that do not appear to consider evidence provided to the committee.

"Recommendation 25, seeking a review by the Australian Government into professional accounting bodies investigatory and disciplinary processes, with a view to potentially establishing a single independent body to perform these functions, is based on an assumption there are no mechanisms in place within accounting bodies to prevent and manage conflicts of interest, the spokesperson said.

"As we clarified in our opening statement here, CA ANZ is a private membership body with by-laws that enable us to hold our members to account, and in some cases expel them from our community.

"As associations with an approved professional standards scheme and members of the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC), all professional accounting bodies have the same obligations to implement conduct rules and processes.

"We have already provided extensive evidence that shows our conduct and disciplinary framework is entirely independent from board and management, with the independent Professional Conduct Committee, Disciplinary Tribunal and Appeals Tribunal comprised of senior chartered accountants, lawyers, ethicists and academics.

"Our independent conduct team applies the rule of law without fear or favour, and all CA ANZ members are subject to the same conduct rules regardless of where they work.

"In 2022, we conducted an extensive review of our framework and last year our members voted in favour of a number of recommendations to strengthen our ability to respond to behaviour deemed unethical, including increasing fines for firm events fivefold.

"As we have outlined to the committee, the ability to impose significant fines, like we have seen from the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB), requires statutory powers under legislation. During recent appearances at both the Senate and Parliamentary Joint Committees, CA ANZ said we would gladly accept the ability to do the same, should the government choose to go down that path," the spokesperson said.

"In relation to Recommendation 3, we are not persuaded that changes to partnership caps will drive better governance or culture in firms. Partnership caps in the corporations legislation are historic and have been repealed in other jurisdictions as irrelevant. 

"CA ANZ does not shy away from scrutiny and transparency. This is why we have already taken steps to publish and proactively provide to key stakeholders a Professional Standards Annual Report for Australia, with information regarding reviews, conduct, discipline and other relevant information," the spokesperson said.

"We also currently report to the Financial Reporting Council (FRC), Tax Practitioners Board (TPB) and Professional Standards Council (PSC). We believe Recommendation 25 is duplicated effort and does not mirror approaches in other sectors with a scheme.

"CA ANZ is continuing to review the recommendations and will provide its membership with a comprehensive response to the report in due course."

www.charteredaccountantsanz.com

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