COMMITTEE
OF PUBLIC ACCOUNTS.
No. 19 of 1913.
An Act
to provide for a Joint Parliamentary Committee of Public Accounts.
[Assented
to 19th December, 1913.]
BE
it enacted by the King’s Most Excellent Majesty, the Senate, and the House of Representatives
of the Commonwealth of Australia, as follows:—
Short
title.
1. This Act may be cited as the Committee
of Public Accounts Act 1913.
Joint
Committee of Public Accounts.
2.—(1.) As soon as conveniently practicable after
the commencement of this Act, and thereafter at the commencement of the first
session of every Parliament, a joint committee of nine members of the
Parliament, to be called the Joint Committee of Public Accounts (in this Act
referred to as the Committee), shall be appointed according to the practice of
the Parliament with reference to the appointment of members to serve on Joint
Select Committees of both Houses of the Parliament.
(2.) Three members of the Committee shall be
members of, and appointed by, the Senate, and six members of the Committee
shall be members of, and appointed by, the House of Representatives.
Duties
of Committee.
3.The duties of the Committee shall
be—
(a)to examine the accounts of the receipts and expenditure of the
Commonwealth, and to report to both Houses of the Parliament any items in those
accounts or any circumstance connected with them to which they think that
attention should be directed;
(b)to report to both Houses of the Parliament any alteration which the
Committee think desirable in the form of the public accounts or the method of
keeping them, or in the mode of receipt control issue or payment of the public
money;
(c) to inquire into and report upon any
questions in connexion with the public accounts which are referred to them by
either House of the Parliament;
(d) any other duties assigned to the
Committee by Joint Standing Orders approved by both Houses of the Parliament.
Continuance
of evidence.
4. Where any matter is inquired into by the Committee and the Committee
has lapsed or ceased to have legal existence before reporting on the matter the
evidence takenbefore the Committee
may be considered by the succeeding Committee as if the evidence had been given
before the succeeding Committee.
Power
to take evidence on oath.
5. The Committee may take evidence on oath or affirmation, and the
Chairman of the Committee or the member acting as the Chairman may administer
oaths or affirmations to witnesses appearing before the Committee.
False
evidence.
6. Any person who wilfully gives false evidence on oath or
affirmation before the Committee shall be guilty of an indictable offence.
Penalty : Five years’
imprisonment.
Duration
and powers of Committee.
7.