The Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) has confirmed it can request the National Broadband Network expert panel and ACCC documents being kept under wraps by the government.
A spokesperson for the ANAO told ZDNet.com.au yesterday that Section 5 of the Auditor-General's 1997 Act entitles the audit office to request "any information the auditor-general requires".
Last week the Federal Auditor-General Ian McPhee confirmed it would conduct a full performance audit into the first $4.7 billion National Broadband Network Request for Proposal (RFP) process.
Although the audit will examine the background to and how the department conducted the RFP process (management of risks associated with the process and outcome) and stakeholder consultations, exactly what becomes publicly available remains to be seen. The report will be made public by mid-2010.
The government had been expected to release the documents at the conclusion of the tender process, but has since refused, citing commercial-in-confidence information for its reason to keep them under wraps and the fact that the tender process was formally terminated.
Shadow Communications Minister Nick Minchin has demanded the documents be exposed to ensure the government's decision to spike the initial tender was in fact based on the expert panel's judgement and that it had followed proper processes.
