Member Condemns Power B d Practice

Northern Advocate, 9 January 1948, Page 2

Member Condemns Power B d Practice

IN COMMITTEE 7

A STRONG protest against the conducting - of much of the North Auckland Power Board’s business in committee was made at the board meeting- in Dargaville yesterday by Mr J. A. S. Mac Kay. Mr Mac Kay condemned the practice as illegal. He submitted two motions on the subject, but the board deferred consideration until an opinion was obtained from the Power Boards’ Association solicitor as to the legality oi the board s present methods.

Mr' Mac Kay was supported by only one member, Mr A. Clarke. Mr Mac Kay moved that the resolutions passed at a meeting held on February 13. 1947. approving and adopting a recommendation of its executive committee to delegate to its finance committee its powers and duties to deal with a.ll board matters, be rescinded. He also moved that the board delegate to its finance committee its powers and duties to deal with all accounts, and with all applications for financial assistance and any other matters that may be referred to it from time to time by resolution of the board.

PRINCIPAL REASON “I have decided on this course for several reasons, the principal reason being that I feel all members should cooperate with our chairman to enable him to carry out his duties decently and in order,” Mr Mac Kay said. “This cannot he done while the resolution which my motion aims at rescinding remains a blot on our records.

He did not consider that information about contracts, tenders and finance should he made public. “We can’t ask the Press to run in and out all the time,” he added. “Some extensions may be dealt with in open board, but not all. “These things should be taken in committee and if the board likes, it can deal with them in open meeting.” Speaking to the newspaper reporters present the chairman said: ‘"’lf at anytime there is anything that you think people are interested in, the secretary or 1 will give you the information.” “TERRIBLE THING” Mr H. Smith, who vigorously opposed both Mr Mac Kay’s motions, said that people who had not got power wanted to know when they would get it, while people who had, wanted to know about power cuts and restrictions.

Otherwise, he maintained, the public did not care what went on at power board meetings.

“The resolution hands over to the finance committee practically all the powers, privileges, duties and responsibilities conferred and imposed on it by the Power Boards Act or by the board’s standing orders, without regard to whether this can he legally done or not.

“It must be obvious to all members j that the chairman can not maintain the dignity of his office nor the board'! retain its own self-respect or the re- j spect of the people we represent, if we continue to defy the law and ignore j our standing orders as has been done j m recent years. “ANGRY REACTION" “The board is well aware of the angry public reaction to the manner i in which the proposed Kiripaka to j Marua extension was dealt with—behind closed doors* —and the still more j angry reaction to the secret instruc- | tions given to the engineering staff to j refuse guarantees exceeding £2 a yearj from owners of houses at the various j beaches in this area.

“We’ve carried on quite well in past years and. I don’t know why we can’t carry on just the same now.” he added. “I think it is a terrible thing for a man of Mr Mac Kay’s experience to make allegations like this,” said Mr E. G. Appleton, referring to Mr MacKay’s remarks about secret instructions to the engineering staff. He moved that consideration of the notices of motion be deferred until the solicitor employed by the Power Boards’ Association has been asked to give his opinion of the legality of the board’s present methods. This motion was carried unanimously.

Mr J. Sterling: I have no time for discussing all the ordinary affairs of the board in open meeting. Our consumers want to know only the principal results of our deliberations. Of the business conducted in committee, I suggest that only that concerning extensions should be dealt with in open meeting. COMPROMISE SUGGESTED

Mr R. G. Murdoch agreed with this and suggested that a compromise be made by dealing with extensions out of committee.

“The opinion has been widely expressed that this resolution is unique in that probably no other local body in New Zealand has passed such a resolution handing over to a committee as it does, power to deal with practically all the board’s business behind closed doors,” Mr Mac Kay added.

“As I have frequently pointed out. committee members are running a grave personal risk in making contracts and agreements in this way, and in affixing the board’s common seal to such documents in defiance of the law and of our standing orders. “I would further suggest to members that it is not merely a question of whether it is legal to do our business in this way, behind closed doors, but it is also a question of whether it :s desirable, even if it were legal.

PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDURE "The Power Boards Act. and also o ir standing orders, direct that except where otherwise provided. Parliamentary procedure should be followed wherever possible and that our doois should be open to the public except when closed by direction of the board for good and sufficient reason. “I have never heard of a resolution like this before in all my local body experience. “The public is entitled to know what we do and why we do it.” Mr A. Clarke seconded Mr Mac Kay’s motion, saving the public was entitled to know 'what the board members did at meetings. The chairman of the board (Mr A. V. Page) said that the committee was elected by the board.

Supporting Mr Murdoch, Mr J. A. Finlayson suggested that a sub-com-mittee be set up to give the Press information of what went on during the committee’s deliberations. The chairman said contracts were considered in committee and finalised in open board. “If these things are done, which are illegal, I would feel it was my obligation to resign from the committee,” commented Mr Mac Kay.