EXPLANATORY STATEMENT

Select Legislative Instrument 2005 No. 127

Issued by the authority of the Minister for Finance and Administration

Public Accounts and Audit Committee Act 1951

 

Public Accounts and Audit Committee Regulations 2005

 

Section 24 of the Public Accounts and Audit Committee Act 1951 (the Act) provides that the Governor-General may make regulations prescribing matters required or permitted by the Act to be prescribed, or necessary or convenient to be prescribed for carrying out or giving effect to the Act.

The Act provides for a Joint Parliamentary Committee of Public Accounts and Audit, and sets out the Committee's duties.  Those duties include examining all reports of the Auditor-General, reporting on any circumstances connected with the financial accounts and statements of Commonwealth agencies and reporting on any matter referred by the Parliament.

The Public Accounts and Audit Committee Regulations 2005 (the Regulations) repeal and replace the former Public Accounts Committee Regulations (the former Regulations).

Both sets of Regulations set out the scale of fees and travelling expenses for witnesses appearing before the Committee; however, the former Regulations contained an outdated reference to the title of the Act, several instances of non-gender-neutral language and an ambiguous reference to the High Court Rules.

The Regulations repeal and replace the former Regulations to clarify these references.

The Regulations are a legislative instrument for the purposes of the Legislative Instruments Act 2003 (Legislative Instruments Act).

 

In relation to section 17 of the Legislative Instruments Act, the Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit was consulted regarding the Regulations.  The Office of Regulation Review advised that the preparation of a Regulation Impact Statement was not required as the amendments do not appear to have a direct or significant indirect impact on business, and are not likely to restrict competition.

 

The Regulations commence on the day after they are registered.

 

Authority:         Section 24 of the Public Accounts and Audit Committee Act 1951.