The Auditor-General of New Zealand works closely with Parliament to improve scrutiny of public entities and ensure resources are being used effectively. The Auditor-General is independent of the executive government and conducts mandatory annual audits of over 3,800 public entities. It has a five-year work program focused on themes like service delivery, governance, investment, and water. It provides reports and advice to Parliament to help improve parliamentary scrutiny and uses a Code of Practice to help Parliament identify key issues amid increasing information volumes.

1. New Zealand’s Auditor-
General working with
Parliament to improve
scrutiny
Inaugural meeting of the Pacific Public Accounts
Committees: the relationship with SAIs
Gareth Ellis, Assistant Auditor-General, Parliamentary Group
27 August 2015

2. New Zealand’s Auditor-General
• Office of Parliament itself, so reports to Parliament
• independent of executive government
• mandatory annual audits of all (3,800) public entities
• very active in the Pacific
• 5 year work programme

3. Good use of public resources
• resources being used effectively?
• reported so others know what’s being done?
Cannot comment on government policy

4. Five-year work programme
Themes in public sector management
2013/14: Service delivery
2014/15: Governance & accountability
2015/16: Investment & asset management
2016/17: Information
2017/18: Water

5. Parliamentary scrutiny
• reports and advice
• working with Parliament to improve
parliamentary scrutiny
• using the Code of Practice, help Parliament to
find the key issues within increasing volume of
information

6. Code of Practice
The Code of Practice for the Provision of Assistance by
the Auditor-General to the House, select committees and
members of Parliament (August 2007)

7. Questions?