Urgent Debates Declined — Report of Auditor-General—Dr Ross Armstrong

I have received a letter from the Hon Murray McCully seeking to debate under what is now Standing Order 373 the report of the Auditor-General on expenses incurred by Dr Ross Armstrong as chairperson of three public entities. This is a particular case of recent occurrence. The report was released on 19 December 2003. This is the first day on which it can be considered, and it involves the ministerial administrative responsibility of the Government. The inquiry was initiated in November 2002 following Dr Armstrong’s resignation, on which the House held an urgent debate. There are implications in the report for corporate governance in general that the report identifies, though it does not address. I consider those issues can be considered by Parliament in a number of ways—in particular, through the financial review process. I do not consider that a report on an inquiry into events that occurred as long ago as 2002 requires the immediate attention of the House by way of urgent debate. The application is accordingly declined.