2005 Media Releases
Tuesday, 8 February, 2005
Accountability research for parliamentary democracy
Political leaders in Australia and overseas make speeches about ‘good governance’ and ‘accountability’. Similar concerns have been raised by many organisations, including the World Bank and the United Nations Development Program.
However, according to La Trobe University Professor of Accounting, Kerry Jacobs, initiatives to improve governance and accountability often focus on changes to the bureaucracy, or calls to strengthen watchdogs outside the parliamentary system.
‘These initiatives can endanger the dignity and integrity of parliament and therefore undermine the core process of democracy.’
Professor Jacobs will make these points when he addresses the concluding session of ACPAC 2005 – the 8th Biennial Conference of the Australasian Council of Public Accounts Committees – in Brisbane today.
The conference is being attended by 120 delegates, comprising Auditors General and the Heads and members of Public Accounts Committees, from Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Singapore and South Africa.
Professor Jacobs is Director of La Trobe University’s ‘Public Sector Governance and Accountability Research Centre’ (PSGARC).
Based on the University’s main Melbourne campus at Bundoora, the centre carries out independent research, training, and support for members of public accounts and similar committees throughout Australia, the Commonwealth, and in neighbouring countries.
The Centre was launched at a ceremony in the Victorian Parliament House last year by Mr Peter Loney, MP, Deputy Speaker of the Victorian Parliament and Immediate Past Chairman of ACPAC.
Professor Jacobs told delegates to ACPAC 2005: ‘Little effort or expenditure has been focused on improving legislative capacity, particularly the functions of public accounts or similar committees, something that I think is central to good governance. The comparison would be if we were having discussions about corporate governance which failed to address the role and significance of the board of directors.
‘Another danger is the focus only on anti-corruption. While stopping corruption is clearly an important objective, it is easy to tar all politicians with the same brush.
‘The consequence is that anti-corruption campaigns generally turn their back on parliamentary systems and propose alternative structures and measures – which also undermine parliamentary democracy.’
Professor Jacobs said the La Trobe University Public Sector Governance and Accountability Research Centre was a voice for ‘good governance within parliamentary systems, highlighting the importance of strengthening parliamentary democracy.’
‘Its primary focus is the members and staff of public accounts committees rather than public sector managers; the parliament rather than the bureaucracy.’
Professor Jacobs said PSGARC is establishing a data base of current practices and policies of public accounts committees in Australia and New Zealand, to provide the basis for research, training, and support for PAC members.
Another research project, involving the firm KPMG, is a major study of the structure and procedures of PACs in Australia and New Zealand, scheduled to be completed in 2006,
PSGARC staff and research students are also involved in studies of a range of issues including performance measurement and organisational learning in the Victorian water industry, operation of the PAC in Bangladesh, performance measurement system in the New Zealand tertiary education system, and the role of the PAC in Sri Lanka.
For interviews or further information, please contact Professor Jacobs, tel: 61-3- 9479 2557; mobile: 0401 680 063; email: k.jacobs@latrobe.edu.au; or La Trobe University Public Affairs, tel: 61-3- 9479 2315.