Preface
Introduction
1. The committee is responsible for examining annual reports of
departments and agencies within two portfolios: Defence (including the
Department of Veterans’ Affairs), and Foreign Affairs and Trade.[1]
2. Under Standing Order 25(21), the committee is required to
report on annual reports tabled by 31 October each year by the tenth sitting
day of the following year, and on reports tabled by 30 April each year by the
tenth sitting day after 30 June of that year.
3. The standing order states:
Annual report of
departments and agencies shall stand referred to the legislation committees in
accordance with an allocation of departments and agencies in a resolution of
the Senate. Each committee shall:
a) examine each annual report referred to it and report to
the Senate whether the report is apparently satisfactory;
b) consider in more detail, and report to the Senate on,
each annual report which is not apparently satisfactory, and on the other
annual reports which it selects for more detailed consideration;
c) investigate and report to the Senate on any lateness in
the presentation of annual reports;
d)
in considering an annual report, take into account any
relevant remarks about the report made in debate in the Senate;
e) if the committee so determines, consider annual reports
of departments and budget-related agencies in conjunction with examination of
estimates;
f)
report on annual reports tabled by 31 October each year
by the tenth sitting day of the following year, and on annual reports tabled by
30 April each year by the tenth sitting day after 30 June of that year;
g)
draw to the attention of the Senate any significant
matters relating to the operations and performance of the bodies furnishing the
annual reports; and
h) report to the Senate each year whether there are any
bodies which do not present annual reports to the Senate and which should
present such reports.
Role of annual reports
4. Annual
reports place a great deal of information about government departments and
agencies on the public record. Accordingly, the tabling of annual reports
continues to be an important element of accountability to Parliament. The
information provided in annual reports assists Parliament in the effective
examination of the performance of departments and agencies and the administration
of government programs. Indeed, as noted in the Requirements for Annual Reports:
Annual reports serve to inform the Parliament (through the
responsible Minister), other stakeholders, educational and research
institutions, the media and the general public about the performance of
departments in relation to services provided. Annual reports are a key
reference document and a document for internal management. They form part of
the historical record.
Assessment of annual reports
5. The annual reports are examined by the
committee to determine whether they are timely and ‘apparently satisfactory’.[2] The committee considers whether the
reports comply with the relevant requirements for the preparation of annual
reports of departments and authorities.
6. The requirements are set down in the
following instruments:
-
for portfolio departments: Public Service Act 1999, subsections 63(2) and 70(2), and the Requirements for annual reports for
departments executive agencies and FMA Act bodies, Department of Prime
Minister and Cabinet, June 2003;
- for Commonwealth authorities and companies: the Commonwealth Authorities and Companies Act 1997;
in particular, the Commonwealth
Authorities and Companies (Report of Operations) Orders 2002; and
- for non-statutory bodies: the guidelines are
contained in the Government response to the report of the Senate Standing Committee
on Finance and Government Operations on Non-statutory bodies, Senate Hansard, 8 December 1987,
vol s124, pp. 2643–45 (requirements were modified in 1987).
Excerpts of the reporting requirements are at Appendix 3.
General comments on the annual reports
7. The
following annual reports have been examined by the committee:
Defence portfolio
Judge
Advocate General
Foreign Affairs and Trade portfolio
Australia–China Council
Australia–Indonesia Institute
Australia–Japan Foundation.
Timeliness in tabling annual reports
8. This report
covers agencies that tabled their report after 31 October 2005.
9. The annual
reports of the Judge Advocate General, the Australia Japan Foundation and the
Australia–China Council were late in being presented to the Senate.[3]
10. A table
detailing the dates relating to the timeliness of presentation is at Appendix
3.
Comments made in the Senate
11. The committee
is obliged, under Senate Standing Order 25(21)(d) to consider any remarks made
about these reports in the Senate. There were no comments in the Senate on any
of these reports.
Matters of significance
12. In accordance
with SO25, the committee is to note any significant matters relating to the
operations and performance of the bodies presenting their annual report. The committee
found no matters of significance relating to the operations and performance of
the bodies presenting their report.
Bodies not presenting annual reports to the Senate
13. The committee is required to report to
the Senate each year on whether there are any bodies that do not present annual
reports to the Senate and which should present such reports. The committee is
satisfied that there are no bodies, within these portfolios, that have not met
their reporting requirements to the Senate.
Standard of reports
14. The committee
found all reports to be generally of a high standard. They effectively
described the function, activities and financial positions of the various departments
and agencies. The committee therefore finds all of the annual reports to be
‘apparently satisfactory’.
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