Today, for the final time, the Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit has tabled a report of its annual inquiry into the Defence Major Projects Report.
The Major Projects Report has served as a landmark of Defence accountability for eighteen years. What commenced as a response to poor visibility on the progress of major projects evolved over the years into a technical document that has provided the data necessary for parliamentary scrutiny.
As with previous inquiries, the Committee’s report finds that although there have been improvements in Defence performance, Defence projects continue to experience scope, budget and schedule difficulties, when compared to original second pass approval.
Although the 2024-25 Major Projects Report is the final report, it will not be the end of the Committee’s scrutiny of Defence expenditures. The Committee will evolve the shape and form of its scrutiny.
As a first step in this reformulation of Defence scrutiny, and pursuant to a recommendation in the report, Defence will provide information to the Committee as requested, containing specified data on the projects the Committee deems necessary. This will be information that assists the Committee to audit and assess Defence’s performance and governance of its major acquisition projects.
The Committee will also increase its scrutiny of performance audits in the Defence portfolio and has commenced this with inquiries into the Land 400 Phase 3 project, and the Collins Class Submarines Life of Type Extension Project.
Chair of the Committee, Mr Josh Burns MP, said, “scrutiny of Defence performance in delivering capability will always be necessary and vital in a democracy where the military must remain accountable to the Parliament for the expenditure of large amounts of public money.”
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