Auditor-General Martin Matthews has now become a political lightening rod – Bill English has to sack him
The enveloping scandal that is erupting over the corruption of Joanne Harrison while she was at the Ministry of transport is reaching crescendo now.
Here’s Winston unloading both barrels…
English Should Stand Down Matthews Immediately
If the government is responsible for the government machine and places so much store on it as the Prime Minister claimed in parliament today then he should stand down Auditor-General Martin Matthews immediately, says New Zealand First Leader and Northland Member of Parliament Rt Hon Winston Peters.
“Mr English claimed Mr Matthews’ appointment as Auditor-General was part of a parliamentary process and his government took no responsibility for malpractices at the Ministry of Transport.
“Yet he contradicted himself saying they had responsibility for the government machine.
“Mr Matthews is part of that government machine and serious concerns exist over his time as Chief Executive at the Ministry of Transport when he mishandled the case of his crooked senior manager Joanne Harrison who defrauded the ministry of $750,000 and drove people out of their jobs.
“There were as many red flags flying at the ministry as you would see in a Kremlin march past, but Mr Matthews failed repeatedly to see any of them.
“He also approved Harrison conducting an investigation at the Department of Conservation after she had already been suspected of fraud.
“Mr English says his department and the State Services Commission have already made an investigation. If that’s true, they are incompetent.
“The public has the right to expect greater accountability and transparency from senior public servants.
“Mr Matthews should be stood down until a proper independent investigation is completed into the ministry’s handling of the case,” says Mr Peters.
New allegations that Harrison terminated the jobs of whistleblowers is about as bad as it gets. That Martin Matthews oversaw this fiasco and has been rewarded with the position of Auditor-General is simply too much heat 4 months before an election.
As the scandal grows, people will start getting very angry and the bubbling resentment towards corrupt public service will require a head rolling.
Matthews is that head.
If English doesn’t do something he looks weak, if he does do something now he at least cauterises the wound before Winston can barnstorm across the provinces with it.
Trouble is, Bill English cannot ‘sack’ the Auditor General. Only the Governor General can, once Parliament has addressed him or her to take such action.
The Governor General can when ‘in Council’ suspend the Auditor General, when Parliament is not sitting.
Here is the actual law providing for such situation, in Schedule 3 of the Public Audit Act 2001:
http://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/2001/0010/latest/DLM89103.html#DLM89103
“4 Removal or suspension from office
(1) The Auditor-General or Deputy Auditor-General may at any time be removed or suspended from office by the Governor-General, on an address from the House of Representatives, for disability affecting the performance of duty, bankruptcy, neglect of duty, or misconduct.
(2) At any time when Parliament is not in session, the Auditor-General or Deputy Auditor-General may be suspended from office by the Governor-General in Council for disability affecting the performance of duty, bankruptcy, neglect of duty, or misconduct proved to the satisfaction of the Governor-General; but any such suspension must not continue in force beyond 2 months after the beginning of the next session of Parliament.”
So the Prime Minister cannot take any action, unless he wants to advise the responsible Select Committee to consider issues re the Auditor General, and then that Committee can make a decision. That Committee is by the way chaired by the Speaker, David Carter.
The committee that overseas the Officers of Parliament, which includes the Auditor General:
https://www.parliament.nz/en/pb/sc/scl/officers-of-parliament/
https://www.parliament.nz/en/pb/sc/scl/officers-of-parliament/tab/mp
“There were as many red flags flying at the ministry as you would see in a Kremlin march past, but Mr Matthews failed repeatedly to see any of them.”
– Northland Member of Parliament , the Right Honorable Winston Peters and Leader of New Zealand First .
Classic Peters in full flight.
It’ll be a sad day for New Zealand when Peters retires.
100% Wild Katipo.
Winston knows that the government hates the ministry of transport as they have criticised Government policy on transport as Government only spend BIG tax dollars on roading now.
So the road controlling agency (NZTA) are getting most of the “transport funds” and the “Ministry of Transport are getting funding cutbacks so they will become mute in their criticism against the government in future.
Web are seeing the willful destruction of regional rail by nactional in favour of SS Joyce’s total use of funding for roads and his trucking interests.
I forecast in today’s budget no extra funding for Kiwirail and lots for roads for trucks and you can bank on this.
English is weak,conservative and uninspiring ,does anyone care.He and the National party will stand a good chance of wining the elections,what an apathetic bunch we are. We’ll get the government’ we truly deserve regardless of all this pontification.
Hes also vindictive . He hasn’t forgotten his last thrashing he got leading National to one of its worst election results in history. If he wins this time it will be out of a sense of UTU and his own warped justifications of his twisted vicious neo liberalism.