ACT To Push For Law Change Under Urgency

The Prime Minister’s department report on Waipareira Trust is the first inquiry that has been completed, said Hon Richard Prebble.

“All others inquires have been aborted. Usually because of a lack of legal authority.

“The Auditor General stated he had no power to examine the conduct of the Waipareira Trust, the Police referred their inquiry to the Serious Fraud Office , who, in turn, stated the amounts involved were not sufficient to meet their criteria.

“The Parliamentary inquiry was aborted because Government MP’s voted to close it down.

“This is an important report not just because Waipareira Trust has been receiving the significant amount of $8m in taxpayer money, but because the inquiry has revealed that the lack of accuracy, unsatisfactory outcomes and inability to monitor spending effectiveness is apparently a problem in other Non Government Organisations.

“It is very significant that the Auditor General has reported in such strong terms that there is, as ACT has been saying, serious inadequacies in the audit office’s ability to monitor taxpayer funded programs being delivered by voluntary agencies like the Waipareira Trust.

“The ACT party will be pressing the Government to make changes to the law to give the Audit office extra supervisory powers.

“It is essential that these changes are passed under urgency, as significant taxpayer funds are beginning to flow through voluntary organisations to finance the Government's closing the gaps program.

“It is also worth observing that the problems identified, in at least seven different Government departments, have been uncovered by Parliamentary scrutiny. This is a demonstration of the benefits of MP’s being prepared to question how Government money is being spent,” said Hon Richard Prebble.

ENDS

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