Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit
Committee establishment and role
The Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit is one of the joint committees in the Commonwealth Parliament, and is established by the Public Accounts and Audit Committee Act 1951.
Further information on the establishment, role and powers of House of Representatives committees including joint committees on which Members of the House serve can be found in chapters 16 and 17 of the Standing Orders (PDF 637KB) of the House of Representatives.
Introduction
This is an introduction to the Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit (JCPAA) - a committee of Members
and Senators of the Australian Parliament. This page contains information about what the Committee is, what the
Committee does and how you can involve yourself, or your organisation, in the work of the Committee.
The page has been created by the JCPAA secretariat - if you have any questions about the Committee, or suggestions
for information which could be posted on the home page, please contact Russell Chafer on phone
61 2 6277 4615, facsimile 61 2 6277 2220 or e-mail jcpa@aph.gov.au.
Duties and Powers of the JCPAA
The JCPAA owes its existence and authority to the Public Accounts and Audit Committee Act 1951 (the PAAC
Act). It is one of only seven statutory committees in the Commonwealth Parliament, all other committees being established
by standing orders or by resolutions of the House of Representatives or the Senate. The JCPAA is also one of the
oldest committees in the Parliament, having first been established in 1913.
In broad terms, the JCPAA's charter is to scrutinise, usually by means of public inquiry, the performance of
all Commonwealth agencies in spending the funds appropriated to them by the Parliament. In this way the Committee
is the Parliament's watchdog, helping ensure that Commonwealth agencies are held to account for their use of public
money.
The JCPAA's specific duties are described in sections 8 and 8A of the PAAC Act, which is reproduced in Joint
Committee of Public Accounts and Audit - Duties of the Committee. Section 8 of the PAAC Act establishes a broad range
of responsibilities for the JCPAA - from examining all reports of the Auditor-General; to reporting on any circumstances
connected with the financial accounts and statements of Commonwealth agencies; and reporting on any matter referred
by the Parliament.
The ability to consider and report on any circumstances connected with reports of the Auditor-General
or with the financial accounts and statements of Commonwealth is one of the main sources of the JCPAA's authority
- it gives the Committee the capacity to initiate its own references and, to a large extent, to determine its own
work priorities. This power is unique among parliamentary committees and gives the JCPAA a significant degree of
independence from the Executive arm of government.
More detailed explanations of the duties and powers of the JCPAA can be found in:
Public Accounts and Audit Committee Act 1951 (pdf 76KB)
Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit - Some Background Information.
Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit - Purpose, Objectives and Operating Framework.
Joint Committee of Public Accounts
and Audit - Reviewing Reports of the Auditor-General.
Recent Presentations to Overseas Organisations (pdf 95KB)
1998 - Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit
1915 - 1997 Joint Committee of Public Accounts