Gerry Brownlee MP National Party Deputy Leader &
State Services Spokesman

01 November 2005

Grave warnings from Ombudsmen

“The public should be gravely concerned by a new report from the Ombudsmen’s Office which paints a damning picture about the handling of official information by Helen Clark’s Ministers,” says National Party Deputy Leader Gerry Brownlee.

“Is this the final nail in the coffin of Helen Clark’s so-called higher standards of Ministerial accountability?

“Her Ministers are facing one of the strongest criticisms the Ombudsman can make - that they have deliberately manipulated the release of public information to suit their own political purposes.

“It’s an appalling misuse of the process, designed to frustrate the Opposition and keep the public in the dark.

“Given that many of the same Ministers who’ve been accused of subverting the process remain in top positions, I expect the performance of the Clark/Peters Government will only get worse, not better.

“This is a serious issue that should be taken seriously,” says Mr Brownlee.

ENDS

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