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Auditor General’S Report Given The Bracks Brush-Off

Finance Minister John Lenders was left speechless in Parliament yesterday when questioned about the Auditor-General’s findings of the Bracks Government’s financial mismanagement.

By Philip Davis - 3rd December 2004 - Back to News

Liberal Leader in the Upper House, Philip Davis, said it was astounding that the Minister could not answer any of the questions on the disturbing findings and conclusions in the Auditor-General’s Report on results of the 30 June financial statement and other audits into the Victorian public sector.

John Lenders was asked what he would do about the Auditor-General’s conclusion on serious breaches of annual reporting obligations by six public sector companies where these obligations "under the Financial Management Act 1994 have not been met and, consequently, accountability to Parliament has been significantly diminished".

Mr Davis said John Lenders would have been given the final Auditor-General’s report at least a week before it was tabled in Parliament, but it was quite clear he had not read the document.

John Lenders told Parliament: "In a sense it is hypothetical because I do not know which companies the question is referring to.

"… it is a bit hard sometimes to flick through all these documents."

When asked how no-one had been able to sign off on Gascor’s financial accounts, which consequently could not be verified by the Auditor General, the Minister replied:
"I have not had a chance to read right through it [the AGs report] at this time."

The Liberal Party also asked Lenders about the Auditor General’s recommendation to provide depreciation funding to hospitals to enable them to maintain their existing infrastructure and prevent long term run-down of Victoria’s public hospital infrastructure.

"Certainly the area is in my portfolio of responsibility," John Lenders replied – but then attempted to handball the issue to a Minister in the Lower House.

Mr Davis said John Lenders’ approach to the state’s financial management was arrogant, unaccountable and evasive.

Source: http://gippsland.com/

Published by: news@gippsland.com

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