The Public Accounts and Estimates Committee is a joint parliamentary committee constituted under the Parliamentary Committees Act 2003.
The Committee comprises nine Members of Parliament drawn from both Houses of Parliament and all political parties.
The Committee carries out investigations and reports to Parliament on matters associated with the financial management of the state. Its functions under the Act are to inquire into, consider and report to the Parliament on:
• any proposal, matter or thing concerned with public administration or public sector finances; and
• the annual estimates or receipts and payments and other budget papers and any supplementary estimates of receipts or payments presented to the Assembly and the Council.
The Committee also has a number of statutory responsibilities in relation to the Office of the Auditor-General. The Committee is required to:
• recommend the appointment of the Auditor-General and the independent performance and financial auditors to review the Victorian Auditor-General's Office;
• consider the budget estimates for the Victorian Auditor-General's Office;
• review the Auditor-General's draft annual plan and, if necessary, provide comments on the plan to the Auditor-General prior to its finalisation and tabling in Parliament;
• have a consultative role in determining the objectives and scope of performance audits by the Auditor-General and identifying any other particular issues that need to be addressed;
• have a consultative role in determining performance audit priorities; and
• exempt, if ever deemed necessary, the Auditor-General from legislative requirements applicable to government agencies on staff employment conditions and financial reporting practices.