Fri Oct 15 1999
Alliance MP Grant Gillon is calling on Work and Income Minister Roger Sowry to clarify who is going to be held
accountable for the $165,000 charter of an aircraft following the release of the Auditor's report describing the travel
as 'excessive.''We have witnessed nothing but world-class buck-passing over this entire shambles. The one person who
hasn't offered an explanation is the WINZ Minister,' Gant Gillon said.'That is all the more surprising when the Auditor
makes it clear that the Minister's office knew about the charter well before it became public knowledge.'There is not
much use passing the buck to staff down the feeding chain.'What the public want to see is someone in a position of
responsibility stand up and take responsibility.'G rant Gillon is astonished that the idea for the use of Wairakei
resort as a conference venue came from the WINZ chief executive herself.'It is clear that there was ample knowledge that
the conference was planned and there should have been better systems in place to stop the whole madcap plan being
carried out.'At the very least, if people made errors, there should be someone at the highest level who is prepared to
accept responsibil ity.'The artful dodging of the issue of accountability can only leave the public to ask where the
accountability for the misuse of public money lies,' Grant Gillon said.
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