Controller update: April 2024
9 April 2024: Almost all government spending for the first six months of 2023/24 was properly authorised and within the law. The single confirmed instance of unappropriated expenditure relates to a provision of $494.5 million for government assistance to local councils after the North Island weather events.
Part 4: The Controller function
Observations from our central government work in 2022/23.
Controller update: September 2023
19 September 2023: 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 New Zealanders.
Summary of unappropriated expenditure: 2015/16 to 2021/22
15 June 2023: On average, $155 million of government spending in six of the last seven years has lacked proper authority from Parliament. The number of instances has decreased and the value of unappropriated expenditure is a low percentage of the Government’s budget.
Controller update: July to December 2022
15 March 2023: Almost all government spending for the first six months of 2022/23 was properly authorised and within the law. The single confirmed instance of unlawful spending was for Accommodation Supplement payments under Vote Social Development.
Controller update: July to December 2021
17 March 2022: Almost all government spending for the first six months of 2021/22 has been properly authorised and was within the law. There were three instances in which the Government incurred expenditure without having the correct authority in place.
Controller update: September 2021
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.
Controller update: What do you know about Supplementary Estimates?
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.
Controller update: July to December 2020
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.
Update on the Government’s Covid-19 expenditure
10 February 2021: We are continuing to pay special attention to spending on the Government's Covid-19 response.
Controller update on Government spending on Covid-19
17 September 2020: While carrying out our Controller work this year, we have been giving special attention to the Covid-19 spending. In this Update, we report on what has been approved, and what the Government has spent, on the Covid-19 response for the year ended 30 June 2020.
Controller update on Government spending on Covid-19
27 July 2020: We have examined the Government’s financial records for spending approved and incurred for the 11 months ended 31 May 2020. From what we have seen, the Covid-19 spending has been correctly approved.
Controller update on Government spending on Covid-19
11 June 2020: We have examined the Government’s financial records for spending approved and expenses incurred against these approvals for the 10 months ended 30 April 2020. From what we have seen, the Covid-19 spending approvals have been managed appropriately. We report on one area where spending has been incurred without the correct approvals.
Controller update on Government spending on Covid-19
12 May 2020: We have examined the Government's financial records for expenditure approved and expenses incurred during March 2020. From what we have seen, the Covid-19 expenditure has been approved correctly. We have not identified any expenditure incurred during March without Parliament and Cabinet approvals.
Controller update on Government spending on Covid-19
9 April 2020: There will be an unprecedented amount of public money spent over the coming months as the Government responds to the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic. We will monitor the Covid-19 spending and will report to the public and Parliament about how the Government is accounting for it.
Controller update: July to December 2019
4 March 2020: Most government spending for the first six months of 2019/20 has been properly authorised and was within the law. However, we have confirmed three instances that were not properly authorised.
Part 3: The Controller function
Central government: Results of the 2018/19 audits.
Controller update: January to June 2019
28 November 2019: Most government spending for the second six months of 2018/19 was properly authorised and within the law. However, we have confirmed several instances that were not properly authorised.
Controller update: July to December 2018
1 April 2019: Most government spending for the first six months of 2018/19 has been properly authorised and is within the law. However, we have confirmed two instances that were not properly authorised.
Part 3: The Controller function
Central government: Results of the 2017/18 audits
Video transcript: The Controller function
A transcript for a video about the Controller function.
