How Ministerial conflicts of interest were identified and managed in relation to Fast-track projects
The Auditor-General has decided to inquire into the systems and processes that help Ministers to identify and manage conflicts of interest, with a particular focus on Ministerial decisions about which projects to include in the Fast-track Approvals Bill announced in October 2024. The terms of reference set out the background and scope for this work.
The Cabinet Manual outlines the expectations for managing these conflicts, and it is important that there are systems to ensure that Ministers promptly identify all potential conflicts (including perceived conflicts) and take sufficient steps to appropriately manage them.
We will not make any public comment while our work is under way.
We will publish a report once we have completed the inquiry, and the report has been tabled in Parliament.