Enhancing transparency and accountability

Parliament represents the interests of citizens. Fundamental to good accountability is the ability of Parliament to hold Executive government to account. This is demonstrated by the role that Parliament plays in controlling the funding of government and scrutinising its operations.

For its part, Executive government must be transparent and provide Parliament with timely, well-structured information that facilitates informed debate and allows for appropriate accountability. In this context, a substantial amount of information is presented to Parliament regarding proposed expenditure and performance. The general trend has been for this information to become more voluminous and complex. It is not clear that accountability and transparency have improved or if it is easier to judge whether government is achieving its objectives and outcomes.

How can we improve the quality of information on appropriations provided to Parliament?