Former Auditor-General Enters Report Argument

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29250, 7 July 1960, Page 14

Former Auditor-General Enters Report Argument

(From Our Reporter)

WELLINGTON, July 6. The former Auditor-General (Mr C. R. J. Atkin), who was head of the Audit Office throughout the year covered by the report criticised in Parliament recently, said today that during his eight years as Auditor-General he was approached on numerous occasions by members of Parliament, including the Prime Minister himself when in Opposition.

Mr Atkin said that he had never felt that he was restricted in any way in discussing with a member of Parliament any matter affecting his work, providing that It was not of a confidential nature. He added that Parliamentary discussion on the Auditor-Gen-eral’s report had ignored the principal issue, which was that there was a real danger that taxation rates could be increased by a Government without consulting Parliament. “I have followed with Interest the comments in the press on the Auditor-General’s report for 1960, particularly regarding the power of the Executive- Government to alter rates of taxation without consulting Parliament,” he said. “Not the Vital Issue” “Unfortunately, the discussion in Parliament, and in the press, has been mainly on' a minor point as to who has used this procedure, and not the vital issue, as stated in the report. “This was that a real danger existed that rates of taxation could be increased without consulting Parliament,” -said Mr Atkin.

“In my reading of history, I cannot recall any civil war being fought because the king endeavoured to reduce taxes. It has always been the attempt to increase taxes or levy new ones that has produced internal strife. "In November last year, therefore, when it was realised that the 1921 legislation might be used to. Increase taxation, it was felt that Parliament’s attention should be drawn to the matter, and I am very pleased that my successor has seen fit to do so.

"By concentrating an attack on the question of whether the 1921 legislation had been used before a general reduction in taxation, instead of, .as was intended in 1921, ‘for the protection of local industries,’ the Government has diverted attention from the allimportant issue that it has the power to increase taxation,” Mr Atkin said. •