The Audit Office failed to meet nearly half of its performance targets this year due to a shrinking budget and agencies failing to hand over financial statements on time, with senators calling for an urgent injection of funding from the government to protect the integrity watchdog.

Figures contained in the Australian National Audit Office's annual report, published last week, laid bare the agency's poor financial position and confirmed it fell four performance audits short of its target this financial year .

The independent agency is known for uncovering the infamous "sports rorts" affair in 2020 and runs checks on government departments and agencies to assess whether taxpayer funds are being spent properly.

It exposed 18 officials and DFAT contractors to an investigation for poten

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