Accountabilities

Improved accountability of all governments to the public is a key objective in the new framework for federal financial relations.

The Commonwealth and the States have committed to improving service delivery by ensuring that the appropriate government is accountable to its community — not just for its expenditure in delivering services, but more importantly for the quality and efficiency of the services it delivers and the outcomes it achieves.

Accountability of governments to the community will be enhanced through simpler, standardised and more transparent public performance reporting for all jurisdictions, underpinned by clearer roles and responsibilities.

The performance reporting framework will focus on the achievement of results, value for money and timely provision of publicly available performance information.

The COAG Reform Council will report to the Prime Minister, as chair of COAG, on National Agreements and National Partnerships.

To assist the COAG Reform Council in its role, the Productivity Commission will also report to COAG on the economic impacts and benefits of COAG's agreed reform agenda every two to three years.

Summary of accountability arrangements under the new federal financial framework
  Policy Determining achievement
against benchmarks		 Payments
National SPPs Treasurers Commonwealth Treasurer Treasurers
National Agreements Portfolio Ministers COAG Reform Council No payments
National Partnership facilitation payments Portfolio Ministers No performance benchmarks Treasurers
National Partnership reward payments Portfolio Ministers COAG Reform Council Treasurers
National Partnership project payments Portfolio Ministers Commonwealth
Portfolio Minister		 Treasurers
General revenue assistance (incl. GST) Portfolio Ministers
(usually the Treasurer)		 n/a Treasurers
Local government SPPs Commonwealth Portfolio Minister Commonwealth
Portfolio Minister		 Commonwealth agency
Commonwealth own‑purpose expense Commonwealth
Portfolio Minister		 Commonwealth
Portfolio Minister		 Commonwealth agency