Can I suggest an audit topic or make a complaint about a State or local government entity to the Auditor General?

The Auditor General welcomes feedback from the community about State and local government entities in relation to their role in auditing annual financial reports or conducting performance audits.

In the first instance you should always direct your complaint to the entity concerned.

The Auditor General does not report back to members of the public on the outcomes of any investigation or other work on complaints. Therefore, individual concerns about one-off issues are generally better directed to more appropriate integrity agencies:

• WA Ombudsman investigates individual complaints about the decision-making of WA public authorities including local government entities, State government agencies, statutory authorities and public universities
• Corruption and Crime Commission investigates allegations of ‘serious’ misconduct by public officers, including those in local government
• Public Sector Commission deals with allegations of ‘minor’ misconduct by public officers, including local governments
• Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries investigates complaints about local government non-compliance with the Local Government Act and regulations, and complaints about councillors.

Deciding what to audit is a key part of the Auditor General’s independence and is not subject to direction from Parliament or government. This independence has to be exercised responsibly, so we have processes in place, which makes sure that the selection of topics is objective, robust and transparent. Further information on how we choose audit topics is here.

Can I make a public interest disclosure about a State or local government entity to the Auditor General?

The OAG is the appropriate authority to receive public interest disclosures (PIDs) that relate to substantial unauthorised or irregular use of, or substantial mismanagement of, public resources. For other kinds of PIDs we are not the correct authority.

Making a PID is a serious matter and needs to be fully considered beforehand. PIDs are made under the Public Interest Disclosure Act 2003 that sets in place a system to encourage people to report serious wrongdoing without fear of disciplinary action, dismissal or being sued for defamation or breach of confidence. More information about making a PID is available on the Public Sector Commission website.

If you would like to make a PID to the Auditor General about either a State or local government entity, please phone (08) 6557 7500 and ask to speak to a PID officer. You can also write to our PID officers at PO Box 8489, Perth WA 6849. By phone or mail, please clearly highlight that you are making a PID.

Is my submission to the OAG confidential?

We treat all information we receive confidentially, subject to legal and parliamentary processes. Your feedback, suggestions and concerns will be managed in a way that demonstrates the OAG values of integrity, quality and service.

Please be assured that your contribution will be considered as part of our rigorous internal processes. However, it is important to note that you will not automatically receive contact from us following your contribution.

Can I make a complaint about the OAG or its staff?

While we hope you never have to make a complaint about us, we certainly welcome your views even if they are critical of us or our staff. If you wish to lodge a complaint about the OAG, please use the above form, email info@audit.wa.gov.au or phone (08) 6557 7500. You can be assured that we take all complaints against us seriously and have a comprehensive complaint management policy in place to act on these.