Watchdogs look at top job

Press, 15 February 1989, Page 8

Watchdogs look at top job

PA Wellington The public’s constitutional watchdogs yesterday told a Parliamentary select committee the Au-ditor-General should be placed on the same basis they are. In a submission to the Finance and Expenditure Committee, the Officers of Parliament — the Ombudsman, Mr John Robertson, the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment, Ms Helen Hughes, and the Wanganui Computer Privacy Commissioner, Mr Paul Molineux — said the Auditor-General should have the same constitutional position. Their submission — which was also signed by the Auditor-General, Mr Brian Tyler — comes after Parliament’s decision last year to investigate the status of Officers of Parliament, and ensure the independent and effective discharge of their duties.

In a separate submission, the Clerk of the House, Mr David McGee, said the concept of Officer of Parliament had developed in an ad hoc manner, with no criteria to define whether a new statutory, officer should be

an Officer of Parliament or not. A definition of Officer of Parliament should be established. “In the absence of such criteria there is a danger that proposals for conferring this status in inappropriate cases may arise and the prestige that should attach to them would be undermined or lost altogether should this occur.” ,

In their submission, the present Officers of Parliament proposed four draft bills amending legislation to grant the AuditorGeneral the same status.