Department in ‘grab for power’

Press, 5 March 1988, Page 4

Department in ‘grab for power’

By

JANE DUNBAR

The Conservation Department is obsessed with frenetic empire-building, says the head of the University of Canterbury’s zoology department, Professor, Wallie Clark. I

The Department’s recently released proposal for the future management of fish and game was "a power grab,” sdid Professor Clark, who 'is also vice-president of the North Canterbury Acclimatisation Society. “The goal is to create a monolithic empire secure from informed or critical surveillance of its operation. At the same time a real role is found for staff, taken over from earlier departments, who are still in the grips of an acute insecurity syndrome,” he said. || Under the proposal, the effective independence; of acclimatisation societies would be removed, and this would be disastrous, he said. "It is essential that there are strong, well informed, politically independent bodies, with standing before the court, that are financially able to pursue vigorously an advocacy role,” ;he said. “This has been the unique strength of thei acclimatisation society movement. “They have not been able to be muzzled, ,and have raised their voices effectively in matters such as the Clutha hydro schemes and the conservation order on the Rakaia River.” 11 _ It was clear the department aimed to regulate carefully who (was

selected for the new quangos, he said. "Any group which has ever had a difference of opinion with a departmental official is unlikely to survive the selection process. “A prime function of the Forest and Bird Society, for example, is to serve as a pricker of the national conscience — a role which is an anathema to public servants who avoid accountability as far as possible.” The Government would be "hand-picking sycophants," he said. The proposal was a denial of the Government policy of user-pays, he said. All control for fish and game management would be taken from anglers and shooters, and their license fees would go to the Government. “By this device, the department intends to solve its Cabinet-imposed problem of generating some revenue — just rob the societies, and do expen-, sively what they previously did economically for themselves? “By these ruses, the department ensures a future role for itself, eliminates critics and solves its financial problems. “The whole plan aims at frustration of almost every principle of effective participatory democracy."