UNDER the Public Works Committee Act 1969, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Works will consider a new referral from the Department of Defence into the Facilities to Support Advanced Growler Phase 6 at an estimated cost of $228.2 million.

The works will take place in both Amberley, Queensland and Delamere, Northern Territory. The construction works will deliver new and upgraded facilities for the operation of the electronic attack aircraft EA-18G Growler.

It is anticipated that the committee will travel to Amberley to conduct a public hearing in relation to the project.

The Committee wants to hear from all individuals or organisations interested in the project. The deadline for public submissions is March 8, 2024, with more information available on the Public Works Committee website.

Committee Chair Graham Perrett MP said, "Public submissions and the public hearings will allow the committee to review the purpose, need and public value of the proposed works."

Note: The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Works is not involved in the tendering process, awarding of contracts or details of the proposed works. Inquiries on these matters should be addressed to the relevant Commonwealth entities.

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THE Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit (JCPAA) has commenced an inquiry into the 2022-23 Commonwealth Financial Statements which are audited each year by the Australian National Audit Office (ANAO).

This audit provides the Parliament with an independent examination of the Commonwealth’s accounts and identifies financial statement risks, issues with governance arrangements, and problems with any internal control frameworks of Commonwealth entities.

The Chair of the JCPAA, Mr Julian Hill MP, said, “The traditional focus on legislative breaches and more serious findings will continue. There will also be a focus on thematic issues including governance for Artificial Intelligence and emerging technologies, the role of internal audit functions and how equity injections to an entity are treated in the accounts when an investment has elements of social and economic benefits. It is concerning that most of the legislative breaches identified relate to incorrect remuneration payments to executives.”

Areas of likely focus for the committee will include:

• Lack of governance frameworks for managing the use of emerging technologies including Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning and Robotic Process Automation and risks arising.
• Role of internal audit and whether guidance would be beneficial to enhance the Australian Government’s system of internal control.
• Weaknesses in consideration of legal matters in the preparation of financial statements.
• Appropriateness of Finance’s return-on-investment forecast model and guidance on the accounting treatment of equity injections when an investment has elements of social and economic benefits.
• Information Technology governance.
• Key areas of financial statements risk and timeliness of financial reporting.
• 9 Significant and 36 Moderate audit findings identified by the Auditor-General.
• 14 legislative breaches identified, noting the majority relate to incorrect remuneration payments to executives and/or non-compliance with decisions of the Remuneration Tribunal.

The inquiry will examine Auditor-General Report No. 9 of 2023-24: Audits of the Financial Statements of Australian Government Entities for the period ended June 30, 2023.

The committee invites submissions to the inquiry addressing the terms of reference to be received by Friday, March 29, 2024. Details of the inquiry – including the terms of reference and public hearings – will be made available on the Committee website.

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THE Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security (PJCIS) will hear evidence next Monday from a range of expert witnesses for the review of the amendments made by the Australian Citizenship Amendment (Citizenship Repudiation) Bill 2023.

The committee will hear from a range of witnesses, including the Australian Human Rights Commission, the Law Council of Australia and a roundtable of expert academics including Associate Professor Rayner Twaites, Professor George Williams, Professor Kim Rubenstein, the Peter McMullin Centre on Statelessness, and Professor Emerita Helen Irving. The committee will also hear from key government agencies: the Department of Home Affairs and the Australian Federal Police.

PJCIS Chair Peter Khalil MP, said, “The Citizenship Repudiation Act is an important pillar in Australia’s national security landscape that was swiftly put in place by Parliament following the decisions of the High Court. The Citizenship Repudiation Act repealed and replaced the relevant provisions to now provide that the Minister may make an application to a court to make a citizenship cessation order in certain circumstances, as part of sentencing on conviction of a person for certain serious offences.

“The committee has received a number of submissions regarding the operation, effectiveness and implications of the recently enacted legislation as well as the proposed Senate amendments.

"The public hearing will allow the committee to hear from expert witnesses regarding the implications of the legislation. The PJCIS will then test this evidence with Government officials from the Department of Home Affairs and the Australian Federal Police.” Mr Khalil said.

Further information on the inquiry can be obtained from the Committee’s website.

Public hearing details

Monday, 19 February 2024
10.30am – 3:45pm (AEDT)
Committee Room 2R1, Parliament House, Canberra

A program for the hearing can be found here and the hearing will be broadcast live at aph.gov.au/live.

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THE Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security (PJCIS) has today tabled its Annual Report of Committee Activities 2022-2023.

During the reporting period, the committee undertook numerous legislative and oversight reviews, working across 14 inquiries; and presented nine reports to the Parliament on a range of complex national security matters.

The committee held 50 meetings and briefings, including seven public hearings and three site visits. The committee reviewed 13 terrorist listings under the Criminal Code, continued its annual reviews of the administration and expenditure of intelligence agencies, examined four bills before Parliament, and undertook four statutory reviews of existing legislation.

Chair of the committee, Peter Khalil MP said, "The operations of the PJCIS are central to ensuring appropriate and effective national security laws, and accountability of the national intelligence community. The committee’s oversight ensures that our law enforcement and intelligence agencies are best positioned to ensure the safety and security of the Australian public."

The committee thanks all who made contributions to the various inquiries and reviews undertaken over the 2022-2023 financial year.

Further information on the functions and role of the committee, a copy of the annual report and all the reports presented by the committee during the review period, can be obtained from the Committee’s website.

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