April 22, 2024
Auditor General warns Parliament over the Governments Fast-Track legislation
Auditor General warns Parliament over the Governments Fast-Track legislation
The submission can be found here: Submission on the Fast-track Approvals Bill — Office of the Auditor-General New Zealand (oag.parliament.nz)
The Auditor General of New Zealand has taken the unusual step of providing his observations on the Governments Fast Track legislation stating “My office has published recent reports where we have commented on Ministerial decision-making processes that have lacked evidence about why decisions were made. Ministers of course have a broad discretion to make decisions, however that power comes, in my view, with an obligation to be transparent to the public about how and why they made those decisions, particularly where those decisions differ from official advice.”
The Auditor General continues: “We also know that conflicts of interest, whether real or perceived, can create public concern around the integrity of decision making.” And even further by suggesting safe guards are needed: “I encourage the Committee to consider whether the transparency and accountability arrangements in the Bill are proportionate to the discretion being provided to Ministers. This will help safeguard public confidence in the quality and integrity of decisions made through the fast-track regime and provide protection for Joint Ministers involved in the decision-making processes.”
The Auditor General has also added there is an important element missing “The Bill includes a requirement to inform applicants of the reasons for declining an application. However, there is no requirement for Joint Ministers to specify their reasons for approving an application, or for any of the conditions being imposed. There is also no requirement for Joint Ministers to specify their reasons for deviating from a panel’s recommendations, or any directions given for the panel’s reconsideration.”