Issue date: Wednesday, 6 September 2023

Public hearings this Friday 8 September by the Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit (JCPAA) include:

• an appearance by the CEO of BAE Systems Australia regarding the $46 billion Hunter Class Frigates project, as part of the inquiry into Defence Major Projects Reports and Procurement of Hunter Class Frigates
• the first public hearings for its Inquiry into probity and ethics in the Australian public sector, examining potential systemic factors contributing to poor ethical behaviour
• Services Australia’s CEO regarding Infosys’ Entitlement Calculator Engine project as part of the Procurement at Services Australia and the National Disability Insurance Agency Inquiry.

The first public hearing in the probity and ethics inquiry will include:

• a roundtable with Australia’s financial regulators—the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, Australian Prudential Regulation Authority, and Australian Securities and Investments Commission
• the Department of Health and Aged Care (Health) on the Community Health and Hospitals Program
• the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts (DITRDCA) on ‘Artbank’.

Committee Chair Mr Julian Hill MP said “while the three financial regulators received generally positive reviews following audits by the Australian National Audit Office (ANAO), the reports regarding the Community Health and Hospitals and Artbank programs were very concerning”.

“Serious shortcomings were found by the ANAO in Health’s administration of the Community Health and Hospitals Program, and in DITRDCA’s administration of the Artbank program. Light must be shone on failings such as these so we can strengthen government integrity and accountability.

“The Committee is very keen to hear directly from BAE Systems Australia regarding the procurement and progress of the $46 billion Hunter Class Frigate program.

“Services Australia will have an opportunity to respond to evidence provided by Infosys and explain why the $191 million Entitlement Calculator Engine commissioned in 2019 was written off”.

Public hearing details

Date: Friday 8 September 2023
Time: 9.00am – 4.00pm
Venue: Committee Room 2R1, Parliament House, Canberra

Media inquiries

Mr Julian Hill MP, Chair of the Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit
Electorate office: (03) 9791 7770

For background information

Committee Secretariat
02 6277 4615
jcpaa@aph.gov.au

For more information about this Committee, you can visit its website. On the site, you can make a submission to an inquiry, read other submissions, and get details for upcoming public hearings. You can also track the Committee and receive email updates by clicking on the blue ‘Track this Committee’ button in the bottom right hand corner of the page.