Announcements from 2021

18 October 2021: We have completed almost all audits with 30 June balance dates that were required to report by 30 September 2021. We remain on track to complete district health board, nearly all council, and larger public organisations’ audits that had statutory reporting time frames extended by Parliament.

28 September 2021: This update explains recent events in Parliament’s authorising of public expenditure and our work in monitoring Government spending and providing assurance to Parliament and the public.

22 September 2021: The New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) has committed to stop inappropriate and harmful behaviour in the organisation. We are reviewing NZDF's progress in creating a safe, respectful, and inclusive environment for all.

2 September 2021: We have replied to Simeon Brown MP about his concerns about the koha given by the Chief Human Rights Commissioner at a hui organised by the Waikato Mongrel Mob Kingdom chapter.

2 September 2021: We have replied to Hon Judith Collins about her concerns about the application by the Ministry of Health for funding from the Proceeds of Crime Fund for the Kahukura Rehabilitation Programme.

2 August 2021: Each year, the Government passes a Bill that updates the Budget for spending that wasn’t included in the initial Budget. This Bill is usually passed in June, and this year it increased the 2020/21 Budget by $20.1 billion.

2 August 2021: We asked New Zealand Government Procurement (in the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment) and Te Kawa Mataaho (the Public Service Commission) for an update on their response to recommendations we made in 2019 about the functional leadership of the government's procurement work.

13 July 2021: We asked the Ministry for the Environment for an update on its response to recommendations we made in 2019 about the Crown’s investment in efforts to clean up New Zealand’s freshwater.

8 July 2021: Parliament has passed a Bill to extend by two months the statutory reporting time frames in the Crown Entities Act 2004 and the Local Government Act 2002. The Bill will come into law once it has received Royal Assent.

6 July 2021: There is a bill before the House to extend the time frames for audits of Crown entities with end-of-year balance dates of 30 June, and annual reporting requirements of local authorities and council-controlled organisations.

24 June 2021: We have replied to Chris Bishop MP about his request for us to inquire into the sublease arrangements between Ginny Andersen MP, the Labour Party Hutt South branch, and the New Zealand Professional Firefighters Union.

26 May 2021: We wrote to Tauranga City Council after looking into the procurement process for its car park building project.

19 May 2021: We wrote to Queenstown Lakes District Council after concerns were raised with us about its procurement of services from a consultancy firm.

20 April 2021: On 16 March 2021, David Seymour MP and Nicola Willis MP wrote separately to our Office about the Government’s purchase of land at Te Puke Tāpapatanga a Hape (commonly referred to as Ihumātao). We have replied to both members of Parliament.

30 March 2021: Most government spending for the first six months of 2020/21 has been properly authorised and was within the law. However, one of the Covid-19 initiatives has led to unappropriated spending in 2019/20 and 2020/21.

10 March 2021: It's vital that any spending of public money delivers good value for New Zealanders. The spending currently planned for a range of infrastructure projects is considerable. Along with the spending announced as part of the Covid-19 response, it's once-in-a-lifetime spending that will have cost implications for generations to come.

3 March 2021: In February 2021 we received an email from Councillor Fitzsimons of Wellington City Council raising concerns about decision-making by Wellington City Council and requesting an investigation by our Office. This is our response to Councillor Fitzsimons.

25 February 2021: New Zealand is at a critical point in its Covid-19 response. An effective vaccination programme is essential to protect the safety and well-being of the public, and to limit the economic costs of community outbreaks and border closures.

25 February 2021: The Auditor-General, John Ryan, has decided to carry out an inquiry into the Ministry of Social Development’s emergency housing grants paid for private rental properties in Auckland. This is the background and terms of reference for the inquiry.

23 February 2021: The Government’s response to Covid-19 has required close co-ordination between many different government agencies. We’re looking at how well co-ordinated the response has been, and how lessons learned through the response to date have been implemented.

10 February 2021: We are continuing to pay special attention to spending on the Government's Covid-19 response.

5 February 2021: The Auditor-General, John Ryan, has decided to carry out an inquiry into aspects of the Government’s Strategic Tourism Assets Protection Programme. This is the background and terms of reference for the inquiry.

29 January 2021: The Education and Workforce Committee is seeking submissions on the Protected Disclosures (Protection of Whistleblowers) Bill. This Bill proposes to strengthen whistleblowing processes for encouraging and protecting staff who speak up about wrongdoing. This is our submission.