Agencies should be able to demonstrate that they are effectively managing gifts, benefits and hospitality (GB&H) and meeting the minimum requirements and accountabilities of the current GB&H policy framework. This Part examines whether agencies' approaches to managing GB&H have been effective and informed by appropriate monitoring, reporting and oversight of these activities.
Victorians trust that public sector employees will perform their duties impartially and use public resources responsibly to pursue government's objectives and benefit the community. The giving and receiving of gifts, benefits and hospitality (GB&H) can be a legitimate and appropriate part of doing government business. However, the inadequate management of these activities risks diminishing public trust and undermining the integrity of decisions made by public sector employees.
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Dr Peter Frost Acting Auditor-General |
Audit team Ray Winn—Engagement Leader Nerillee Miller—Team Leader Sid Nair—Analyst Rateeb Bhuiyan—Analyst Engagement Quality Control Reviewer Caitlin Makin |
Ordered to be published
VICTORIAN GOVERNMENT PRINTER December 2015
PP No 124, Session 2014–15
In accordance with section 16(3) of the Audit Act 1994, a copy of this report, or part of this report, was provided to the Department of Premier & Cabinet, the Department of Treasury & Finance, the Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport & Resources, the Department of Environment, Land, Water & Planning, the Department of Justice & Regulation, the Victorian Government Solicitor's Office, Linking Melbourne Authority, VicRoads, Environment Protection Authority, Planning Panels Victoria and the Treasury Corporation of Victoria
The state entered into the following termination agreements with the East West Connect (EWC) consortium on 15 June 2015.
This Appendix is drawn from the East West Link (EWL) project summary prepared on behalf of the Linking Melbourne Authority (LMA) in October 2014. In a departure from usual practice for public private partnership (PPP) arrangements in Victoria, the project summary for EWL was not publicly released. The government released a partly redacted copy of the project contract documents in April 2015.
The Public Administration Act 2004 (the Act) seeks to ensure the maintenance of an apolitical public sector that responds to government priorities in a manner that is consistent with public sector values. The Act imposes an obligation on public officials to provide frank, impartial and timely advice to government.
The government announced final agreements to bring the East West Link (EWL) project to an end in June 2015. The termination settlement involved the state reimbursing East West Connect (EWC) for claimed expenditure on the project and acquiring the project assets and interest rate swaps established for the project. The state also negotiated an uncommitted bond financing mandate for up to $3.1 billion with some members of the EWC banking group.