AUDITOR GENERAL
AMENDMENT BILL 2022 — INFORMATION DISCLOSURE
975. Hon Dr STEVE THOMAS to the minister representing the
Treasurer:
Happy
Thursday. I refer to the Treasurer's media release on October 19
announcing the introduction of the Auditor General Amendment Bill 2022.
(1) What
sensitive information will be available to the Auditor General under the bill
that cannot be further disclosed to the Western Australian community?
(2) Will the
Legislative Council be able to question all the data that underpins the
opinions given by the Auditor General?
(3) If no to (2), what data will be
kept secret?
(4) How is the
Auditor General expected to give an audit report based on information like
cabinet documents that cannot be justified through publication?
Hon
STEPHEN DAWSON replied:
I thank the Leader of the Opposition
for some notice of the question. The following information has been provided to
me by the Treasurer.
Noting that this bill is yet to be
debated by the Parliament and that members will have the opportunity to
consider the bill as part of the committee process, the answer is as follows.
(1) The proposed
framework to deal with highly sensitive information is extensively set out in
the second reading speech, the bill and the explanatory memorandum.
(2) The
Legislative Council will be able to question all the data that underpins the
opinions given by the Auditor General in the way that it currently can.
(3) Not applicable.
(4) Once any
highly sensitive information is provided to the Auditor General, the
information may be fully utilised as part of any audit, including informing any
audit findings or opinions. However, the information itself may not be further disclosed by the Auditor General in a public
report. For example, Auditors General have
regularly been given access to cabinet documents under successive governments
for the purposes of conducting their functions and have provided audit
reports without the publication of this sensitive information. This will
continue.