At least one Independent Senator has raised concerns over what he described as the inactivity of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), questioning its ability to fulfill its mandate as a parliamentary watchdog.
The PAC is responsible for holding the government accountable for its financial management.
Speaking in the Senate on Tuesday, Senator Lindell Nurse noted the committee’s crucial role in examining the Auditor General’s reports, scrutinising public expenditure, and addressing any financial irregularities.
He however said that the PAC does not appear to have functioned for some time.
“I am concerned that we have a committee that is supposed to oversee transparency and government spending, yet it has not been meeting,” Nurse said, further questioning whether there was an attendance issue on the part of the members.
“We need to understand what is preventing it from functioning.”
Nurse stopped short of further speculating on the reasons behind the PAC’s inactivity but suggested that Parliament may need to intervene to ensure the committee operates as intended.
Leader of Government Business in the Senate, Senator Lisa Cummins, pushed back against Nurse’s statements, rising on a ‘point of order’ to challenge his assertion.
“The Public Accounts Committee, on which I sit, has not met since June 2024 because a meeting has not been called by the chairman, who is the Leader of the Opposition,” Cummins said.
“Government members have been present whenever meetings were scheduled. The issue is not attendance.”
Despite the clarification, Nurse maintained that steps should be taken to ensure the committee fulfills its oversight responsibilities.
“The time may have come for Parliament to look at the issues and find a solution to ensure that this committee functions properly,” he said.
The PAC is chaired by Leader of the Opposition Ralph Thorne with other members of the committee being MPs Sandra Husbands, Marsha Caddle, Corey Lane, Edmund Hinkson, Kerrie Symmonds and Colin Jordan.
Government Senators on the PAC are Lisa Cummins, Chad Blackman and Gregory Nicholls. Representing the Opposition are Senator Ryan Walters, while the Independent Senator is Crystal Drakes.
(SM)
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