The Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) is the supreme audit institution of Australia, serving as the national auditor for the Australian Government and Parliament. It reports directly to the parliament via the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President of the Senate. The ANAO sits within the Prime Minister and Cabinet portfolio for purposes of administration.
The current Auditor-General for Australia is Dr Caralee McLiesh PSM, who was appointed in August 2024 and commenced in November 2024. McLiesh's appointment followed the resignation of the fifteenth Auditor-General Grant Hehir in February 2024.
Role The Australian National Audit Office is a specialist public sector agency that supports the Auditor-General of Australia, who is an independent officer of the Parliament of Australia. The main functions and powers of the Auditor-General under the include auditing financial statements of Commonwealth agencies, authorities, companies and their subsidiaries in accordance with the and conducting performance audits which are tabled in Parliament. The Auditor-General may report their findings directly to Parliament or to a minister, on any important matter.
In addition, the ANAO plays a leadership role in improving public administration and audit capability in Australia and overseas by publishing information such as Insights and deploying experienced staff to audit institutions in Indonesia and Papua New Guinea.
Auditor-General The Auditor-General is appointed by the Governor-General on the recommendation of the Prime Minister, for a term of ten years. In the period between Auditor-Generals, the then Deputy Auditor-General Ms Rona Mellor PSM was appointed as Acting Auditor-General in the role.
Below is a full list of Commonwealth auditors-general dating from 1902. Name Dates John William Israel 19021926 Charles Cerutty 19261935 Herbert Charles Brown 19351938 Ralph Abercrombie 19381946 Albert Charles Joyce 19461951 James Brophy 19511955 Harold Clive Newman 19551961 Victor John William Skermer 19611973 Duncan Robert Steele Craik 19731981 Keith Frederick Brigden 19811985 John Vincent Monaghan 19851987 John Casey Taylor 19881995 Patrick Joseph Barrett 19952005 Ian McPhee 20052015 Grant Hehir 20152024Caralee McLiesh PSM2024–2034
History
The was the fourth piece of legislation passed by the Parliament. The Audit Act provided a legislative basis for the financial management of Commonwealth finances and the audit of related accounts, it also provided a legal foundation for the appointment of an Auditor-General. The first Auditor-General, John William Israel, began establishing the Federal Audit Office in 1902 in Melbourne. The office moved to Canberra in 1935, in line with Government policy at that time.
The Audit Act 1901 was amended in 1979 to allow the Audit Office to undertake performance audits ("efficiency reviews"). Efficiency reviews, or performance audit, concerns the efficiency and effectiveness of a particular government activity.
The Audit Act 1901 was replaced with the Auditor-General Act 1997, which came into effect on 1 January 1998. The main features of the new act included: provisions that strengthened the independence of the Auditor-General and the Australian National Audit Office; the strengthening of the Auditor-General's role as an external auditor of Commonwealth agencies, authorities, companies and their subsidiaries, including a comprehensive mandate to conduct, with some limited exceptions, financial statement and performance audits of all government entities; and clarification of the Auditor-General's mandate and powers.
In 1986 the ANAO hosted XII INCOSAI, the twelfth triennial convention of the International Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions.
The Australian National Audit Office also reviews Commonwealth Government agencies pursuant to the for the proper use and management of public money, public property and other Commonwealth resources; the that provides reporting, accountability and other rules for Commonwealth authorities and Commonwealth companies; and the for general corporate law.
References
External links Australian National Audit Office Latest publications