The literal window cleaners have no doubt already been sacked by the government to save a few thousand dollars. But the cry for the metaphorical ones is stronger — every week another layer of political grime seems to affix itself to any surface which may once have let light through and allowed those outside to see what might be happening within.
It is upsetting to see — or, perhaps not see — how much this government is doing behind closed doors. Far too much is being done secretively and, when details are finally liberated to the public, efforts are made to ensure that that is done in the most inconvenient way at the worst possible time — as happened with the release of documents around its approval of a third medical school at the University of Waikato.
There is nothing new, of course, in ministers and officials playing these games and tinkering with the public and the media, but there appears to be a degree more cynicism in recent behaviour.
Unfortunately, the previous government can hardly be held up to the current administration as a shining example of how to be transparent. Despite Labour making Chris Hipkins the minister responsible for open government, the amount of obfuscation and spin which it generated has not faded from memory.
Anyone who voted for the current government in the hope of greater transparency and a breather from such tactics must be very disenchanted with the efforts of the coalition partners to date.
Concerning details have now come to light of how the government deliberately hid what it was up to regarding the provocative changes to pay equity, which saved the coalition’s bacon by freeing up billions of dollars to make this year’s Budget figures appear more sanguine.
Thirty-three active claims were immediately cancelled by the Bill, which was passed under urgency in May.
RNZ and Newsroom have been delving into the government’s management and manipulation of pay equity changes to ensure the public remained in the dark until it was too late for them to be able to make any difference.
Documents released under the Official Information Act show the assiduous stage management included even Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, who attended one of the ministerial meetings at which instructions were issued to withhold the proactive release of their diaries.
The whole strategy was given a name, Project 10. There were recommendations that nothing be said publicly until the Bill had been introduced to the House — the reason being there could be a raft of new claims if the public knew beforehand.
However, as Newsroom points out, that is fallacious, given the existing pending claims were cancelled anyway by the new legislation.
Despite warnings that the furtive approach potentially breached people’s human rights, the government carried on regardless.
Sometimes there are valid reasons for keeping matters confidential. But more often, secrecy is a way of keeping knowledge and power close to the chests of one group to deliberately disadvantage others. Hiding matters can also suggest lack of confidence in one’s decision-making abilities and the desire to avoid scrutiny of such.
The documents reveal a government more concerned with meeting its mantra of economic prudence than it is with looking after the public.
This is all very disappointing, from a government which continues to disappoint and blame others for its own lack of progress.
At least we now know the kind of thinking which has gone on behind those murky Beehive windows and can keep on the government’s case for greater transparency — transparency which New Zealanders have a right to.
Use some judgement
We support the vigilant policing of mobility parks to ensure people with disabilities can stop as close as possible to their destinations.
However, the $750 fine a Dunedin City Council parking officer handed to injured 78-year-old Swava Pociecha for her husband’s momentary stop to pick her up outside Moana Pool after a physiotherapy session seems unfair. The council clearly needs to hold some lessons on using discretion.
