The Controller and Auditor-General (the Auditor-General) is an Officer of the New Zealand Parliament responsible for auditing public bodies. Grant Taylor began his seven-year term as Controller and Auditor-General on 3 July 2025. The Deputy Controller and Auditor-General is Andrew McConnell.[2] Their mandate and responsibilities are set out in the Public Audit Act 2001. They are appointed by the Governor-General on the recommendation of the House of Representatives.
Public entities are accountable to Parliament and the public for their use of public resources and powers conferred by Parliament. The Auditor-General provides independent assurance that public entities are operating, and accounting for their performance, in keeping with Parliament's intentions. The Auditor-General is independent of executive government and Parliament in discharging the functions of the statutory office, but is answerable to Parliament for stewardship of the public resources entrusted to her.
Under the Public Audit Act 2001, the Auditor-General is the auditor of all public entities, including:
the Crown
government departments
Crown entities (such as the Commerce Commission, the New Zealand Transport Agency, and Te Papa)
State-owned enterprises (such as New Zealand Post, Kiwibank, and the Meteorological Service of New Zealand)
local authorities and their subsidiaries (for example, local councils, ports, and airports)
tertiary education institutions (universities, polytechs, and wānanga)
schools
statutory boards
other public bodies
The Auditor-General employs the public sector organisation Audit New Zealand and contracts with private sector accounting firms to carry out these annual audits.
As well as annual audits, the Auditor-General carries out performance audits and inquiries. Other work of the Auditor-General includes:
advice to Parliament
advice and liaison
working with the accounting and auditing profession
international liaison and involvement.
The organisation's structure
The Auditor-General employs staff in two business units – the Office of the Auditor-General and Audit New Zealand – and contracts with private sector accounting firms. The two business units share a Corporate Services Team.
Office of the Auditor-General
The Office of the Auditor-General carries out strategic audit planning, sets policy and standards, appoints auditors and oversees their performance, carries out performance audits, provides reporting and advice to Parliament, and carries out inquiries and other special studies.
Audit New Zealand
Audit New Zealand carries out annual audits allocated by the Auditor-General. It also provides other assurance services to public entities, within the Auditor-General’s mandate and in keeping with the Auditor-General’s Auditing Standard on the independence of auditors.
Audit New Zealand's auditors examine the financial statements of public entities and handle special governance, risk, and contract and project management assignments. Audit New Zealand has specialist Tax Audit and Information Systems Assurance Audit teams.
The Auditor-General is a member of INTOSAI, and also contributes to the international auditing community by accepting requests to host delegations from overseas audit offices and other government bodies.
Auditors-General of New Zealand
The first auditor-general took office in 1846, and before that audit functions were carried out in the Colonial Secretary’s Office. From 1 January 1842 until the appointment of Dr Knight in 1846, accounts were certified by a board consisting of three commissioners of audit. The 21st (and current) auditor-general, Grant Taylor, took office on 3 July 2025.[3]
1846–1878 Charles Knight MD, FRCS: 1846–1878 Auditor-General; 1872–1878 Joint Commissioner of Audit
1867–1878 James FitzGerald CMG, BA (Cambridge): 1867–1878 Comptroller of the Public Account; 1872–1878 Joint Commissioner of Audit; 1878–1896 Controller and Auditor-General
In 1878, Charles Batkin was appointed as Assistant Controller and Auditor, a new role created to create continuity in the event of the Auditor-General's absence.
The Deputy Auditor-General can perform all the functions and exercise all the powers of the Auditor-General.[4]
The current Deputy Auditor-General Andrew McConnell took Office on 1 May 2023.[5]
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