Independence essential in environmental reporting
Revelations that Government officials suppressed parts of the recently-released State of the Environment report add
weight to calls for such reports to be prepared by the independent Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment, says
National’s Environment spokesman, Nick Smith.
“It is of serious concern that a critical chapter in this report – on the impacts of agriculture – was deleted. These
issues are real and need addressing, and Labour is mistaken if it believes they can be swept under the carpet.
“This doctored report highlights the concerns National has about the neutrality of the Environment Ministry that last
year saw repeated political interference in the appointment of key staff and the resignation of the Minister and the
Chief Executive.
“Accurate and frank environmental reporting is as important as financial reporting. New Zealand’s public finances are
reported by the independent Auditor-General, and the same integrity should be brought to environmental reporting by
having the task performed by the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment.
“National will introduce a new Environmental Reporting Act that will increase the frequency of reporting from ten years
to five and ensure that the report is prepared independent of the Government of the day.”
Ends