Minister says funds query not for him

Press, 9 October 1987, Page 2

Minister says funds query not for him

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BRENDON BURNS,

political reporter issue of Ministerial nupoosibllity for Stateowned enterprises will be considered by Parliaments Speaker, Burke, after a refusal to answer questions yesterday. Any ruling could | enforce or end some Parliamentary scrutiny of billions of dollars worth of taxpayers* assets. The Opposition spokesman for S.O.E.S, Mr lan McLean, had asked Mr Prebble, the Minister for S.O.E.S, what was the total amount the corporations had borrowed overseas on short terms. Mr Prebble said this was not information which he possessed and it was not appropriate - for him to seek it “That is not a matter for which I am Ministerially responsible. The (5.0. E. boards are,” he said. The .funding arrangements of the S.O.E.S were their own responsibility, Mr Prebble told the House. Mr McLean asked if it was correct, as suggested in finance markets, that the S.O.E.s owed about $7 billion to foreign lenders on three month or shorter terms. His colleague, Mr Doug Graham (Remuera), pressed the issue, asking if the Minister was not interested in the borrowings of 5.0.E3. Mr Prebble said he was interested but the S.O.E.S would not be efficient businesses if politicians

insisted on making decisions. -The Leader of the Opposition, Mr Bolger, said Mr Prebble was declining to answer the question asked in spite of being responsible for the S.O.E.S. This brought a response from the Deputy Prime Minister, Mr Palmer, who steered the S.O.E. legislation through Parliament last year. He said this required a Minister to answer for an S.O.E. only where he had taken an action and was responsible for it. Mr Bolger said as shareholder, Mr Prebble was Involved directly as was taxpayers’ money, even if only by way of the Minister’s salary. An answer to the question on borrowing was required, he said. Mr Palmer said that was "garbage.” S.O.E. borrowing could relate to commercial matters and that would allow Mr Prebble to decline to answer, although there was no obligation on any Minister to answer any question if he chose not to. ■The Speaker, Mr Burke, agreed with this point but said there were wider principles involved and he would consider these and report back to the House. Mr McLean urged him to consider where the Minister for S.O.Es did have responsibility. He asked whether questions could be asked of Ministers. where no question of commercially sensitive issues was involved, or political interference.