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Consideration

The committee has considered Auditor-General Report 19: 2018-19—Education: 2017-18 results of financial audits, and has determined to take no further action in relation to the report. Further details are included in the committee's Annual Report 2019-20.

Overview

Role of the Auditor-General

The role of the Auditor-General is to provide Parliament with independent assurance of public sector accountability and performance. This is achieved through reporting to Parliament on the results of its financial and performance audits.

About the Auditor-General Report

View:  Auditor-General Report 19: 2018-19—Education: 2017-18 results of financial audits   

The report summarises the results of financial audits of the education sector entities that sit within the portfolio of responsibility for the:

• Minister of Education and Minister for Industrial Relations
• Minister for Employment and Small Business and Minister for Training and Skills Development.

These include:

• the Department of Education
• TAFE Queensland
• the seven Queensland public universities and the entities they control
• the eight Queensland grammar schools
• other statutory bodies and controlled entities that provide specific and specialised education services.

The report recommended that all education entities:

• continue to manage their ongoing costs, including by developing strategies and cost-saving initiatives, to counteract the risks associated with changes in government funding arrangements and external market factors
• take prompt action to address internal control deficiencies, particularly focusing on those that remain outstanding from prior years, to mitigate the risk of fraud or error
• reinforce the need to verify bank account changes independent of change requests.

Referral to Committee 

Standing Order 194B provides that the Committee of the Legislative Assembly shall as soon as practicable after a report of the Auditor-General is tabled in the Assembly refer that report to the relevant portfolio committee(s) for consideration. 

The committee is responsible under section 94 of the Parliament of Queensland Act 2001 for assessing the integrity, economy, efficiency and effectiveness of government financial management by examining government financial documents and considering reports of the Auditor-General.

The Committee of the Legislative Assembly referred this Auditor-General’s report to the committee on 16 May 2019.

Related information

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