Our recent work
We took an independent look at what happened in 2020, to understand how resources and efforts were co-ordinated as the pandemic unfolded.
We've published a guide for government departments on audit and risk committees, and how to ensure that these committees operate as effectively as possible.
We wanted to know what progress Te Puni Kōkiri and other public organisations have made in supporting and implementing Whānau Ora and whānau-centred approaches.
Read about our priorities
Improving outcomes
In the next three years we’ll focus on how well the public sector is improving the lives of New Zealanders, in housing, health, education, outcomes for Māori, and reducing family violence.
Public accountability
An effective accountability system is critical to New Zealanders’ trust and confidence in the public sector and in government.
Keeping New Zealanders informed
We’re keen to see improvements in how well public organisations inform communities about matters of importance.
Sharing what "good" looks like
We’re in a unique position to identify and share examples of good practice.
What we do
The Controller and Auditor-General is an Officer of Parliament. This means he is independent of the Government and can't be directed by whichever political party is holding power.
The Auditor-General has two business units – the Office of the Auditor-General (this site) and Audit New Zealand (auditnz.parliament.nz).
Together, our work gives Parliament and the public an independent view of how public organisations are operating. That independence, along with watching the spending, is why the Auditor-General is sometimes called the public's watchdog.
Here's the video transcript, and there's more information in the About us section.
What does an auditor do?
An auditor checks that information organisations report annually is reliable, and lets us know if it isn’t. (Here’s the video transcript.)
What is the Controller function?
The Controller checks that money is spent lawfully, and can "turn off the money tap" if it isn't. (Here's the video transcript.)
Our blog posts
Our staff are regularly blogging about the interesting and thought-provoking aspects of their work...
Data (including fraud notifications and school audit results)
We're working to make some of our data available online. We welcome your feedback.
Resources for students and teachers
We've turned some of our reports into teaching resources, mainly for social studies. Check them out!
