Scoop has an Ethical Paywall
Work smarter with a Pro licence Learn More
Parliament

Gordon Campbell | Parliament TV | Parliament Today | Video | Questions Of the Day | Search

 

OAG decision to not investigate Katherine Rich disappointing

14 May 2015

OAG decision to not investigate Katherine Rich disappointing

The Office of Auditor General’s (OAG) decision to not investigate Katherine Rich’s potential conflict on the board of the Health Promotion Agency (HPA) has revealed glaring holes in accountability over political appointments to Government agencies, the Green Party says.

The Green Party, and members of the public, had complained to the OAG after documents released under the Official Information Act showed that Ms Rich had not declared any conflicts of interest on the agenda items, on the board of the HPA, that conflicted directly with her role as the chief executive of the Food and Grocery Council.

“Though I’m disappointed that the OAG did not investigate these complaints, its decision highlights the urgent need for better rules to ensure that Government appointees are not acting in their own, or their employer’s interests when appointed to Government agencies.

“Ms Rich’s day job is to maximise consumption of unhealthy food, alcohol and tobacco whereas the HPA’s job is to minimise it.

“There is a fundamental conflict in Ms Rich’s two roles, but the problem is that the management of her conflict is left to her, and to the chair of the HPA, who is also a political appointment.

“Very serious concerns have been raised about Mrs Rich’s conflicts including by health researchers, who’ve been the subject of aggressive PR campaigns by the junk food, alcohol and tobacco lobbies.

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading

Are you getting our free newsletter?

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.

“But efforts by me and others to get answers have been blocked all the way, including by the Minister who refused to ask the State Services Commission to investigate.

“The current process of dealing with conflicts of interest relies almost entirely on Ms Rich and the Chair - both political appointees managing it; or the Minister who appointed them, triggering the State Services Commission to investigate.

“If the system is going to allow for political appointments, there needs to be better, clearer guidelines about what constitutes a conflict and what is appropriate management of it.

“Without that, the public has no guarantee that the HPA is managing Ms Rich’s conflicts.

“I remain concerned that the OAG has taken five months to decide not to investigate and yet, as far as I am aware, none of those raising concerns were consulted.

“Ideally this is an issue for the State Services Commission; however they are unable to investigate unless asked to by the Minister.

“Given the level of concern by the public, the opposition and the public health sector, I’m asking the Minister to reconsider his earlier decision and ask the State Services Commission to investigate,” Mr Hague said.

ends

© Scoop Media

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading
 
 
 
Parliament Headlines | Politics Headlines | Regional Headlines



Gordon Campbell: On Dune 2, And Images Of Islam


Depictions of Islam in Western popular culture have rarely been positive, even before 9/11. Five years on from the mosque shootings, this is one of the cultural headwinds that the Muslim community has to battle against. Whatever messages of tolerance and inclusion are offered in daylight, much of our culture tends to be hostile to Islam when we’re sitting in the dark, with popcorn.
Any number of movie examples come to mind, beginning with Rudolf Valentino’s role (over a century ago) as the romantic Arab hero in The Sheik...
More


 
 


Government: One-stop Shop Major Projects On The Fast Track

The Coalition Government’s new one-stop-shop fast track consenting regime for regional and national projects of significance will cut red tape and make it easier for New Zealand to build the infrastructure and major projects needed to get the country moving again... More

ALSO:


Government: GPS 2024: Over $20 Billion To Get Transport Back On Track
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has released the draft Government Policy Statement (GPS) on Land Transport, outlining the Coalition Government’s plan to build and maintain a transport system that enables people to get to where they need to go quickly and safely... More

ALSO:

Government: Humanitarian Support For Gaza & West Bank

Winston Peters has announced NZ is providing a further $5M to respond to the extreme humanitarian need in Gaza and the West Bank. “The impact of the Israel-Hamas conflict on civilians is absolutely appalling," he said... More


Government: New High Court Judge Appointed

Judith Collins has announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister Jason Scott McHerron as a High Court Judge. Justice McHerron graduated from the University of Otago with a BA in English Literature in 1994 and an LLB in 1996... More

 
 
 
 
 
 

LATEST HEADLINES

  • PARLIAMENT
  • POLITICS
  • REGIONAL
 
 

InfoPages News Channels


 
 
 
 

Join Our Free Newsletter

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.