The Auditor-General provides independent assurance to the Parliament of Victoria and the Victorian community about the financial integrity and performance of the state and local governments, with assistance from the Victorian Auditor-General's Office (VAGO).
Under the Audit Act 1994, the Auditor-General must prepare and table an annual plan before 30 June each year that details VAGO's proposed work program for the coming financial year.
Click the link below to download a PDF copy of Appendix D. IBAC and Victorian Ombudsman joint letter to the Premier.
Click the link below to download a PDF copy of Appendix C. Scope of this audit.
Click the link below to download a PDF copy of Appendix B. Acronyms, abbreviations and glossary.
Click the link below to download a PDF copy of Appendix A. Submissions and comments.
The agencies involved in the two advertising campaigns could not show that the campaigns were cost-effective. Systems for assessing cost-effectiveness were inadequate. Agencies did not always set clear campaign objectives and targets for assessing the campaigns’ performance. They did not evaluate systematically and objectively whether the campaigns met their objectives.
In our opinion, the two advertising campaigns did not fully comply with the PAA. Some of the campaign advertisements included political advertising. One campaign did not comply with limits on television advertising.
The agencies involved in the campaigns interpret the laws differently. They maintain that they complied with their legal obligations.
At the very least, this suggests that the laws are not sufficiently clear.
The Victorian Government uses advertising to communicate with the public about important issues, such as government services, changes to the law and health and safety. It spent at least $84.6 million on advertising in 2019–20.
In 2017, the Victorian Parliament introduced new laws to ensure government advertising is in the public interest, and to stop public sector agencies publishing political advertising.
| Who we audited | What the audit cost |
|---|---|
| DELWP, DET, DHHS (DFFH and DH), DJCS, DJPR, DoT, DPC, DTF and Cenitex | The cost of this audit was $800 000. |
This audit used the following lines of inquiry and criteria: