Public Accounts Committees in Australasia: The state of play

Public Accounts Committees (PACs) are typically one of the most important committees in Parliament, due to the key role such committees play in promoting public sector accountability and effective governance. This paper reports on the results of a survey of structures, responsibilities, processes and working practices adopted by PACs in ten jurisdictions across Australia and New Zealand. In examining the results of this survey, the paper devotes particular attention to key issues relating to Australasian PACs such as establishment and authority of PACs, powers and responsibilities of PA Cs, membership and leadership, staffing, relationships with other committees, and the evaluation of PAC performance