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Legislative Council - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2025-11-11 Daily Xml
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Auditor-General's Report

Auditor-General's Report

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Deputy Premier, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Attorney-General, Minister for Industrial Relations and Public Sector, Special Minister of State) (15:26): I move:

That standing orders be so far suspended as to enable the report of the Auditor-General 2024-25 to be referred to a Committee of the Whole and for ministers to be examined on matters contained in the report for a period of one hour's duration.

Motion carried.

In committee.

The CHAIR: I note the absolute majority.

The Hon. B.R. HOOD: My questions will be, in the first instance, to the Attorney-General on the Victims of Crime Fund, speaking to the Auditor-General's Report, Part C: Agency Audit Reports, page 14. What is the current value of the Victims of Crime Fund and where is the government holding those funds?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: I am very pleased to be able to say that in anticipation of such a question—I think I have had it every year that we have had the Auditor-General's Report—my advice is that as of 31 October 2025 the balance of the Victims of Crime Fund stands at $195 million.

I have mentioned before in this chamber during question time the significant contributions that are being called on the Victims of Crime Fund for the National Redress Scheme. I think originally, in 2017-18, $146.4 million was set aside from the Victims of Crime Fund for the National Redress Scheme. In 2022-23, a further $25 million was set aside for the National Redress Scheme and that brought it up to $171.4 million at the time. As part of the 2024-25 Mid-Year Budget Review, an additional $135 million was announced from the Victims of Crime Fund for the National Redress Scheme. I think the second question was: where are the funds held? My advice is they are held by Treasury.

The Hon. B.R. HOOD: I thank the Attorney-General for his pre-prepared answers. Can he advise the chamber that any interest incurred on the Victims of Crime Fund is put back into the fund, or is it applied elsewhere?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: My advice is that any interest accrued from investments made by the fund is put back into the fund. So my advice is that it is not syphoned off to general revenue, but put back into the fund.

The Hon. B.R. HOOD: Could the Attorney-General advise what is the quantum of the total interest earned?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: I thank the honourable member for his questions. I will not just provide the last one, but will have to go back a few years for social completeness. My advice is the interest that the fund accrued in the actual for 2024-25 was $9.638 million; in 2023-24, $8.810 million; and in 2022-23, $6.033 million.

The Hon. B.R. HOOD: I appreciate the answers from the Attorney-General there. Can the Attorney-General advise how many payments were made to the Victims of Crime Fund in 2024-25?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: My advice is we have the data for applications approved, which I think would be a fair proxy or, if not, exactly the same number for payments, but the wording that is used is 'applications approved'. In 2024-25, I am advised, it was 1,204; in 2023-24, 1,175; and in 2022-23, 1,091. So over the last three financial years there has been a slight increase each year from just under 1,100 to just over 1,200 applications approved.

The Hon. B.R. HOOD: Out of those applications approved, is it possible for the Attorney-General to provide the breakdown of the number of payments of each of those applications?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: Just to check I have the question correct, is the member saying by value of the amounts of payments?

The Hon. B.R. HOOD: Yes.

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: I do not have the breakdown in terms of all the values of payments. I am happy to take that on notice, but what I can do is, again, for the last three financial years, give an average payment for the applications approved. I am advised that in 2024-25, that was 19,500; in 2023-24, 20,600; and in 2022-23, 18,300, but I am happy to take that away. I do not know to what extent there are statistics available, but I am happy to take that on notice and see.

The Hon. B.R. HOOD: I thank the Attorney-General for taking that on notice. Can the Attorney-General advise the chamber on how many claims would have been denied to the Victims of Crime Fund?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: This is not an exact answer, and I can only go on the way things are described and the information I have but, for the previous three years that we have talked about, I can give information about the number of applications received. The number of applications received minus the number of applications approved will give an indication of that, but it might be the case that there are ones that have been received that had not necessarily been denied but might not have finalised. In terms of applications received, in 2024-25, I am advised, it was 1,966; in 2023-24, 1,920; and in 2022-23, 1,551.

The Hon. B.R. HOOD: Just on those figures as I have scribbled them down, in 2024-25, 2023-24 and 2022-23 we see it at around 1,500, then we see an increase of about 400, I suppose, in those claims. What can we attribute that to?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: I do not have specific information. One explanation could be an increase post COVID. We see in many crime statistics a significant low or downturn during COVID and then, frequently, a return in some of those stats to pre-COVID levels. That could be one explanation for that, but I do not have any other information or analysis in relation to that.

The Hon. B.R. HOOD: I certainly understand where the Attorney-General is going with that. Can the Attorney-General advise the chamber what is the total of funds outstanding from offenders, if known?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: I do not have information in relation to that amount, but I am happy to take it on notice and see if anything can be supplied in relation to that.

The Hon. B.R. HOOD: Can the Attorney-General give a breakdown of any legal or other costs that are incurred in administrating the Victims of Crime Fund—just the administration of the fund?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: I am not sure if this was a question asked in terms of the legal costs for administering the system, but information I do have that I can provide is what I am advised are the payments for victims' legal costs. I am advised that in 2024-25 they came to $2.31 million, in 2023-24 they came to $2.117 million, and 2022-23 they came to $1.831 million.

The Hon. B.R. HOOD: Just one last question on the Victims of Crime and then I will move on to the Courts Administration Authority. Looking at the quantum of payments that have been made and the averages that the Attorney-General has provided the chamber, does he expect those totals of those payments or those averages of payments from the fund to increase?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: In relation to the average payment, the number of payments, we do not have information or reasons as to how they might increase or decrease significantly over time. The one thing that I have more certainty over is the potential call on the Victims of Crime Scheme for the National Redress Scheme. The National Redress Scheme, I am advised, is accepting applications up until 30 June 2027.

As we have talked about, this government has put in a further $135 million on top of the $171.4 million, I think at the point. With the scheme closing on 30 June 2027, I think it would be reasonable to assume there will be those, and then it might even be the case that there is a significant number coming in to meet the deadline of the scheme. I think it would be reasonable to expect there will be further calls and they may be significant on the Victims of Crime Fund for the National Redress Scheme.

The Hon. B.R. HOOD: I thank the Attorney-General for his answers on the Victims of Crime Fund. Just moving to the Courts Administration Authority, in the Auditor-General's Report, Part C: Agency Audit Reports, page 44, regarding payroll, the Auditor-General identified that the Courts Administration Authority had no formal time recording or leave monitoring processes for judges. How did the Auditor-General identify how much undeclared leave judges had taken in the past 12 months that the state is therefore liable for on the leave balance sheet for these judges?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: I thank the honourable member for his question. My advice is that in terms of the management of leave for courts the concern was that it is managed through a manual process rather than another sort of process. My advice is that the audit office found no errors or irregularities, however have recommended that judges' leave be systematised rather than a manual process.

The Hon. B.R. HOOD: I thank the Attorney-General for his response there. That was going to be my next question: was there any financial loss or avoidable errors that had come from that manual process? The Auditor-General noted that the CAA responded that it will investigate options for a system-based solution, as the Attorney-General stated. When could we reasonably expect that system to be rolled out?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: My advice is that there are discussions occurring with the relevant heads of jurisdictions this financial year.

The Hon. B.R. HOOD: Staying with the Courts Administration Authority, speaking to IT general controls, still on page 44, the Auditor-General has identified that the CAA did not have detailed processes to monitor and review privileged access for the payroll database and the operating system. Had this been identified by the CAA itself, or was it the Auditor-General's examination that uncovered the issue?

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