Last modified on Thu 15 Apr 2021 17.40 EDT
Scott Morrison has again been urged by members of his own government to give a budget boost to the auditor general, despite the prime minister brushing off a similar request last year.
The joint committee of public accounts and audit, which is chaired by the Liberal MP Lucy Wicks and has a majority of Coalition members, has called for funding to reach a target of 48 performance audits a year and an extra $6-7m to test government entitiesâ claims about their achievements.
A spokesman for Angie Bell confirmed the Liberal MP had supported the recommendation âas does the whole committeeâ. The other Coalition members are Claire Chandler, David Gillespie, Matt OâSullivan, Paul Scarr, Ross Vasta and Rick Wilson â although Gillespie, at least, was not present when the committee deliberated on the call for more funding.