Overnight the NSW legislative Council supported a Greens amendment to the NSW Government Sector Finance Bill to reconstitute the Parliaments Public Accounts Committee to improve financial accountability and transparency in NSW.
The amendment passed with the support of the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party and Liberal MLC Mathew Mason Cox who voted against the Government.
Greens Treasury spokesperson Field said, “These vital changes would see the committee expanded to include four members each from both the Legislative Assembly and Legislative Council with the chair being required to be a non-Government member.
“Financial accountability and transparency have been an issue for this Government. This bill will go a long way to correcting this and ensuring the expenditure of public funds is adequately scrutinised in the public interest.
“It is considered best practice for the primary financial accountability committee of the Parliament to be one where the Government doesn’t have a majority and where the Upper House, the house of review had an equal share of members who bring a very different perspective to this important oversight role.
“The onus is now on the Government to get on board with this vital reform and support this legislation in the Lower House. The sooner they do that, the sooner we can improve financial accountability in this state.”
Further details on Greens amendment and details of Public Accounts Committee here:
