#Debarclay shows why Parliamentary Service should be covered by OIA
28 June 2017
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The Taxpayers’ Union is calling on MPs to shed the cloak of secrecy surrounding Parliamentary Services and for political
parties to commit to bring it under the Official Information Act in the next Parliamentary term.
“Taxpayers should be able to find out how politicians are spending their money,” said Jordan Williams, Executive
Director of the Taxpayers’ Union.
In 2007, then Speaker Hon Margaret Wilson, called on the inclusion of Parliament under the Act, telling an Information
Law Conference marking 25 years of the Official Information Act that “I personally find it anomalous that the
administration of Parliament is not subject to the OIA, with suitable protections for the privacy of communications
between Members of Parliament and their constituents and agencies that they petition on behalf of the public.”
Mr Williams said that “Today New Zealand First Deputy Leader Ron Mark called on the Government to front up and tell the
public how much the Barclay employment settlement cost taxpayers. We agree, but sunlight should be shone on all
instances of politicians paying to silence and settle employment disputes with former staff. At the Taxpayers’ Union,
we’ve been highlighting this very issue since 2014.”
The 2014 comments can be found at: http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/9590207/Payments-buy-the-silence-of-staff-at-Parliament
Maragret Wilson’s full speech can be found at: http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0705/S00352.htm
ENDS