Leaked papers spark Forest Service inquiry

Press, 12 July 1985, Page 8

Leaked papers spark Forest Service inquiry

By

OLIVER RIDDELL

Wellington The publication in “The Press” of a series of leaked documents on forestry administration has led to a formal inquiry by the Forest Service. Public attention became focused on forestry administration two months ago when knowledge first became general about the recommendations to the Government by the working party on environmental administration.

Copies of the report of this working party have since been released by the Minister for the Environment, Mr Marshall, but when “The Press’ first gained a copy in mid-May nothing had been hitherto suspected of the sweeping reforms it proposed. Prominent among these proposed reforms was the dividing of the Forest Service. The structure proposed would leave the Forest Service as a commercial Exotic Forestry Corporation, losing all its other functions, including control of native forests. It was learned that the Forest Service had made counter-proposals to the Government, and a copy of these counter-proposals was sought under the terms of the Official Information Act from the Minister of Forests, Mr Wetere. Mr Wetere declined to release the Forest Service counter-proposals on the ground that their contents were confidential advice to the Cabinet. However, “The Press” secured a copy of the papers and printed them. This led to a formal inquiry within the Forest Service to see if any of its staff had been in breach of the blanket of silence imposed by Mr Wetere.

As well as the Forest Service, other Government departments have made recommendations to the Government on aspects of environmental administration. None of these paper,s have been made public, but “The Press” has learned the contents of some of them and printed the information. The main such departmental paper is that of the Treasury. It supports the recommendations of the

working party which called for the dividng up of the forestry-related functions now the responsibility of the Forest Service. “The Press” learned the broad nature of the Treasury proposals, and printed them, but has not so far seen a full copy of the Treasury document. An application was made to both the Minister of Finance, Mr Douglas, and Minister of State Services, Mr Rodger, under the terms of the Official Information Act, for a copy of the Treasury paper. Mr Rodger replied that it was a matter for Mr Douglas; Mr Douglas has not yet replied. The Forest Service has continued its own investigation into the source or

sources of papers from it leaked to “The Press.”

It has been prompted to do so on two main grounds. First, leaking the papers after Ministerial veto, if indeed done by Forest Service staff, would amount to a flouting of a Minister, and second, leaking the papers by any public servant would amount to a flouting of the State Services Commission’s edict on releasing information. The contents of confidential papers, and sometimes the papers themselves, are being released to "The Press” by people who give as their motivation a dislike of the information vacuum in which the Minister and his Under-Secretary will otherwise be holding their public meetings.