The Order to General has fed up with government departments spending money without reporting on what they're spending achieves. So what they the Order to General wants to do is change the law to track what comes of government policies and programs. So what's the story here. Janay tips Rainy is The Herald's Wellington Business editor and joins you, now, hello today today, Andrew, what does the Order to General want?

The Order to General has fed up with government departments spending money without reporting on what they're spending achieves. So what they the Order to General wants to do is change the law to track what comes of government policies and programs. So what's the story here. Janay tips Rainy is The Herald's Wellington Business editor and joins you, now, hello today today, Andrew, what does the Order to General want?

Well? I had a chat to the Order to General the other day and he is really worried about the fact at budget time governments allocate money to various initiatives. You know, that catches the headlines, it's all over the news, But then in the future we often don't know what comes of that money. We don't actually know what has been achieved. Now, an example he pointed to was the Provincial Growth Fund. Our listeners might remember this one. It's a New Zealand first initiative launched under the Labor led government in twenty eighteen. That was three billion dollars allocated to various projects in the regions, you know, aimed at economic development, so on and so on. But do we really know what's come of that three billion? We know which projects have been funded, but there has been no sort of checking up on what's been achieved and figuring out what it's actually done. So John Ryan, the Order General, his seven year term is coming to an end at the middle of this year, and it seems like he's really sort of upping the ante, kind of raising his concerns quite publicly to the media about the quality and the level of reporting and accountability.

Well? I had a chat to the Order to General the other day and he is really worried about the fact at budget time governments allocate money to various initiatives. You know, that catches the headlines, it's all over the news, But then in the future we often don't know what comes of that money. We don't actually know what has been achieved. Now, an example he pointed to was the Provincial Growth Fund. Our listeners might remember this one. It's a New Zealand first initiative launched under the Labor led government in twenty eighteen. That was three billion dollars allocated to various projects in the regions, you know, aimed at economic development, so on and so on. But do we really know what's come of that three billion? We know which projects have been funded, but there has been no sort of checking up on what's been achieved and figuring out what it's actually done. So John Ryan, the Order General, his seven year term is coming to an end at the middle of this year, and it seems like he's really sort of upping the ante, kind of raising his concerns quite publicly to the media about the quality and the level of reporting and accountability.

And that is good because, of course the new government came in and said, we're going to look at all this sort of stuff and we're going to go through it line by line and we're going to forensically account for everything. They haven't been doing it. And this is what the Auditor General is actually finally requiring from government departments. Good on you. Does it require a law change?

And that is good because, of course the new government came in and said, we're going to look at all this sort of stuff and we're going to go through it line by line and we're going to forensically account for everything. They haven't been doing it. And this is what the Auditor General is actually finally requiring from government departments. Good on you. Does it require a law change?

Yeah, so this is just his idea. I think what the government is wanting to do is cut spending. He's saying we need to know what the spending actually does. He reckons a way to do this would be to change the Public Finance Act. That's the law that sort of oversees how the stuff is it. I asked Nichola Willis what she thinks, and she said she was open to changes. Now this issue might be investigated by the Finance and Expenditure Committee. That's a parliamentary committee made up of MPs. Nichola Willis said, you know, if that happens, she'll take advice from the committee. Otherwise it's something that she might have a look into herself. Yeah. Now, look, John Ryan says, it's important that the public's engaged in this because you know, for the sake of trust and confidence in the public sector, the stuff is important.

Yeah, so this is just his idea. I think what the government is wanting to do is cut spending. He's saying we need to know what the spending actually does. He reckons a way to do this would be to change the Public Finance Act. That's the law that sort of oversees how the stuff is it. I asked Nichola Willis what she thinks, and she said she was open to changes. Now this issue might be investigated by the Finance and Expenditure Committee. That's a parliamentary committee made up of MPs. Nichola Willis said, you know, if that happens, she'll take advice from the committee. Otherwise it's something that she might have a look into herself. Yeah. Now, look, John Ryan says, it's important that the public's engaged in this because you know, for the sake of trust and confidence in the public sector, the stuff is important.

Do you reckon that? Brian Roach and John Ryan mates, and they've been talking over the barbecue.

Do you reckon that? Brian Roach and John Ryan mates, and they've been talking over the barbecue.

Well, it certainly looks like it so right. Yeah. Brian Roach is the Public Service Commissioner, and readers of The Herald might remember that last week we did a story. He came out and talked to us as well about the need for the public sector to be modernized and better reporting and so on. So they are singing off the same song.

Well, it certainly looks like it so right. Yeah. Brian Roach is the Public Service Commissioner, and readers of The Herald might remember that last week we did a story. He came out and talked to us as well about the need for the public sector to be modernized and better reporting and so on. So they are singing off the same song.

Sheet that's great today. I thank you so much for your time today, and of course that story reported on the Herald. More of the left wing drops that we actually commit every day, because you know, we like that.

Sheet that's great today. I thank you so much for your time today, and of course that story reported on the Herald. More of the left wing drops that we actually commit every day, because you know, we like that.

For more from Hither Duplessy Allen Drive, listen live to News Talks.

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