OIA on Curran’s work
November 28th, 2007 at 12:04 pm by David FarrarReaders will know the story by now of how Claire Curran was hired by the Environment Ministry after David Parker “recommended” her. She had previously been declined.
Now a member of the public has filed a request to the Ministry of the Environment for all information on all work carried out by Clare Curran while employed at, or contacted to, the Ministry for the Environment”.
And the reply from the Environment Ministry CEO Hugh Logan is revealing. He is transferring the request to Trevor Mallard because:
“The information to which your request relates is more closely connected with the functions of a Minister of the Crown”
So pretty much confirms that she was working for the Minister’s private political agenda (as Erin Leigh said), rather than the Ministry, despite them (the taxpayer) paying the $29,000 bill.
Will Trevor release the info before the House rises? I doubt it. My pick will be Xmas Eve.
No tag for this post.
November 28th, 2007 at 12:10 pm
One rat pokes its ugly head out of the hole, you can bet there are a whole lot more of them down there
Vote:November 28th, 2007 at 12:18 pm
Or Hugh Logan has been told “hand it over because you’ll fuck it up again”.
Vote:November 28th, 2007 at 12:22 pm
Taxpayer money paid for her employment, so the Taxpayer can just bloody well see what the money was spent on thank you!
Documents please!
Vote:November 28th, 2007 at 12:25 pm
DPF … “a member of the public has filed a request”.
Shouldn’t National have filed a comprehensive request when this story popped up last week? Can you confirm if they have?
I’d be bloody concerned if Her Majesty’s Opposition isn’t on to this issue well ahead of any “member of the public”.
Vote:November 28th, 2007 at 12:34 pm
Sounds more like Hugh Logan would really, really like to keep his job if you don’t mind.
I’m pretty sure Mallard (or a staffer) is coming up with all kinds of entirely spurious reasons to withhold or redact the relevant document into gibberish. And if the person who lodged the request doesn’t like it, and lays a complaint with the Ombudsman then ‘Mongrel’ Mallard knows how to deal with them! 
Vote:November 28th, 2007 at 12:34 pm
Based on the request of the wording MfE still has to hand over related documents. Else a request under OIA could bounce around forever. I would do a OIA to request all documents relating to the response to the first OIA request
Vote:November 28th, 2007 at 1:07 pm
Virtual – I have no idea at all if National has also done an OIA request, but I would be very surprised if they had not. They may even have got the same reply.
Vote:November 28th, 2007 at 1:29 pm
Could one of our resident lawyers advise if NZ has an equivalent law allowing surcharging(Elected Councillors in UK) for misdemeanors at the taxpayers expense. Mallard would be a great candidate. Dame Shirley Porter a Tory councillor was surcharged 28 million quid for gerrymandering etc – perhaps John Key will consider something similar – perhaps surcharging MPs over retrospective legislation and late/non payment of taxpayers money stolen – to the extent of that theft plus IRD interest & penalties.
Vote:November 28th, 2007 at 1:36 pm
“Based on the request of the wording MfE still has to hand over related documents.”
I don’t think they could use transferring as a tactic to avoid handing over documents, but it is legitimate to transfer OIA requests. I suspect the Minister’s office wants to handle it as it is clearly a political issue. As others have suggested, I’m sure Hugh Logan is pleased about that.
The request seems to raise some interesting issues about declining the request to protect the interests of a person. None of the documents in particular seem like they could be withheld for that reason, but it could be argued that the request as a whole falls foul of that.
Vote:November 28th, 2007 at 1:53 pm
This saga, and the previous one involving DB-P have much deeper ramifications. MfE are clearly a part of the political arm, rather than public service arm of Government. How many other Departments have changed function under Labour? I suspect the answer is many. MSD, DOL, NZTE are increasingly becoming Government propoganda pieces. And are Treasury, MFAT and MED corageous enough to be providing free and frank advice to this Government??
Much as I hate the prospect, I am coming around to the view that we have moved to the Amercican system through stealth. If this is true, then we are going to need the American solution when there is a change of Government – a complete spill of the senior ranks of Government Departments and agencies. Not all resignations need to be accepted, of course, but an incoming Government will not be able to function properly if the public service refuses to cooperate. Those that are Labour ideologues will need to go.
I am not saying that we are there yet, but this is looking a distinct possibility. Public service chiefs might like to do some reflecting on this. There is still time to prove that the public service is still independent. A good place to start would be Hugh Logan. He should resign and come clean about the extent to which he, and his Department has been forced by ministerial interference to become a political pawn. That way he will have some integrity left. If he doesn’t it looks to me that he is going to have to resign anyway, but there won’t be any integrity……………
Vote:November 28th, 2007 at 2:56 pm
Indeed, it looks like Labour has been using more taxpayers money to do work for the Labour party.
Can’t say I am surprised.
Since we paid $10,000s of dollars for a couple of months work I wonder what is in the document(s).
Vote:November 28th, 2007 at 3:24 pm
Agree CharlotteM At least the US are upfront and transperant Not like here where we have a toadying civil servants fulll of arse lickers grovelling to their ministers frightened to death to act in an ethical and moral manner lest it gets them fired.
We need a Herculean cleanout of the stables with a high powered fire hose to wash the crap away.
Vote:November 28th, 2007 at 7:12 pm
I agree too, Charlotte M. Disagree as much as you might about the US system, at least you know where you stand with it. Labour pretty much has the same thing but are utterly dishonest about it, and it gets exposed too seldom by a compliant media.
Vote:November 28th, 2007 at 8:56 pm
Will Trevor release the info before the House rises? I doubt it. My pick will be Xmas Eve.
If he’s smart he’ll dump it on Dec 12th.
Vote:November 28th, 2007 at 9:10 pm
BeShakey wrote:
I don’t have a copy of the act to hand, so I’m not really sure whether its ‘legitimate’ or not. But it sure is a hell of a delaying tactic. Back when I was a journo on a provincial paper the District Health Board was chronic at playing silly buggers with the most innocuous OIA request, and you’d be surprised how effective playing musical in trays could be. I think the theory is that they can fuck you around longer than you’re willing to keep on their arse. And in recent years even the Office of the Ombudsmen has expressed considerable impatience with the delaying tactics, and the refusal to release information on completely suprious grounds, of certain ministries and Ministerial offices.
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