4 March 2009 Media Statement

‘Ham-fisted’ Collins to blame if Barry Matthews takes legal action

Corrections Department head Barry Matthews’ refusal to rule out taking legal action against the Crown means that Corrections Minister Judith Collins’ ham-fisted handling of the portfolio could end up costing taxpayers a huge payout, says Labour law and order spokesperson Clayton Cosgrove.

“At the law and order select committee today, Mr Matthews would not rule out the possibility of legal action in the wake of Judith Collins refusing to express confidence in him after she received a report from the Auditor-General criticising the department,” Clayton Cosgrove said.

“No one is saying Judith Collins did wrong in referring the report to the State Services Commissioner, but she had two choices in the way she did that.

“The first choice, and the appropriate one, would have been to send the Auditor-General’s report to the Commissioner asking for his analysis and feedback. She chose not to take that simple course,” Clayton Cosgrove said.

“No, this is Judith Collins we are talking about. She wanted heads to roll. She demanded to know who was accountable. Naturally, media asked her if she had confidence in Mr Matthews, and so she blundered on, refusing to express confidence in her department head.

“A competent minister, one who did not want to risk taxpayer money, would easily have deflected that question, and said ‘this issue is not about confidence in any individual, but about wanting the State Services Commissioner to provide me with advice on the functioning of the department’”, Clayton Cosgrove said.

“Instead, desperately seeking a headline, she fell over her own ego, placing huge pressure on Mr Matthews, and putting taxpayers at risk if legal action eventuates.

“A golden rule for any minister should be to think first, take a breath second, seek advice, and then act. She has replaced the first three steps. What she does instead of those three steps is to sound off. Her own sense of self-importance is putting taxpayer money at risk.”

ENDS