Audit report


INDEPENDENT AUDITOR'S REPORT To the President of the Senate Opinion Australian National Audit Office In my opinion, the financial statements of the Department of the Senate (the Entity) for the year ended 30 June 2022 : (a) comply with Australian Accounting Standards - Simplified Disclosures and the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability {Financial Reporting) Rule 2015; and (b) present fairly the financia l position of the Entity as at 30 June 2022 and its financial performance and cash flows for the year then ended. The financial statements of the Entity, which I have audited, comprise the following as at 30 June 2022 and for the year then ended: Statement by the Accountable Authority and Chief Finance Officer; Statement of comprehensive income; Statement of financia l position; Statement of changes in equity; Cash flow statement; and Notes to the financial statements, comprising a summary of significant accounting policies and other explanatory information. Basis for opinion I conducted my audit in accordance with the Australian National Audit Office Auditing Standards, which incorporate the Australian Auditing Standards. My responsibi lities under those standards are further described in the Auditor's Responsibilities for the Audit of the Finonciol Statements section of my report. I am independent of the Entity in accordance with the relevant ethical requirements for financial statement audits conducted by the Auditor-General and his delegates. These include the relevant independence requirements of the Accounting Professional and Ethical Standards Board's APES 110 Code of Ethics for Professional Accountants (including Independence Standards/ (the Code) to the extent that they are not in confl ict with the Auditor-Genera/ Act 1997. I have also fu lfilled my other responsibilities in accordance with the Code. I believe that the audit evidence I have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for my opinion. Accountable Authority's responsibility for the financial statements As the Accountable Authority of the Entity, the Clerk of the Senate is responsible under the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 201-'l (the Act) for the preparation and fair presentation of annual financial statements that comply with Australian Accounting Standards -Simplified Disclosures and the rules made under the Act. The Clerk of the Senate is also responsible for such internal control as the Clerk of the Senate determines is necessary to enable the preparation of financia l statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error. In preparing the financial statement s, the Clerk of the Senate is responsible for assessing the ability of the Entity to continue as a going concern, taking into account whether the Entity's operations will cease as a result of an administrative restructure or for any other reason. The Clerk of the Senate is also responsible for disclosing, as applicable, matters related to going concern and using the going concern basis of accounting, unless the assessment indicates that it is not appropriate.

Auditor's responsibi lities for the audit of the financial statements My obj ective is to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements as a whole are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and to issue an auditor's report that includes my opinion. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assu rance, but is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with the Australian National Audit Office Auditing Standards will always detect a material misstatement when it exists. Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and are considered material if, individually or in the aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence the economic decisions of users taken on the basis of the financial statements. As part of an audit in accordance with the Australian National Audit Office Auditing Standards, I exercise professional judgement and maintain professional scepticism throughout the audit. I also: • identify and assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to fraud or error, design and perform audit procedures responsive to those risks, and obtain audit evidence that is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for my opinion. The risk of not detect ing a material misstatement resulting from fraud is higher than for one resu lting from error, as fraud may involve collusion, fo rgery, intentional omissions, misrepresentations, or the override of internal control; • obtain an understanding of internal control relevant to the audit in order to design audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Entity's internal control; • evaluate the appropriateness of accounting policies used and the reasonableness of accounting estimates and related disclosures made by the Accountable Authority; • conclude on the appropriateness of the Accounta ble Authority's use of the going concern basis of accounting and, based on the audit evidence obtained, whether a material uncertainty exists related to events or cond itions that may cast significant doubt on the Entity's ability to cont inue as a going concern. If I conclude that a material uncertainty exists, I am required to draw attention in my auditor's report to the re lated disclosures in the finan cial statements or, if such disclosures are inadequate, to modify my opinion. My conclusions are based on the audit evidence obtained up to the date of my auditor's report. However, future events or conditions may cause the Ent ity to cease to conti nue as a going concern; and • evaluate the overall presentation, structure and content of the financial statements, including the disclosures, and whether the financial statements represent the underlying transactions and events in a manner that achieves fair presentation. I communicate with the Accountable Authority regarding, among other matters, t he planned scope and timing of the audit and significant audit findings, including any significant deficiencies in internal cont rol that I identify during my audit. Australian National Audit Office

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