New PAC chair to lead probe on controversial reports

MLAs Roy McTaggart (left) and Ezzard Miller

(CNS): Ezzard Miller will be back in action as the chair of the Public Accounts Committee tomorrow morning, when members meet to question witnesses and examine the findings of several controversial reports from the Office of the Auditor General (OAG). PAC will review eight reports over three days, including reports on the Nation Building Fund, the management of national land, government IT security and social welfare programmes. 

Miller took back the reins of the PAC, which he held for part of the previous UDP administration, after Opposition Leader McKeeva Bush was ousted from the committee by the LA in October last year. Premier Alden McLaughlin admitted at the time that, given Bush’s part in many of the reports’ findings, he had shown “poor judgment” when he had nominated and supported the opposition leader’s election to PAC in the wake of the 2013 election.

At various times Bush has called the former auditor general, Alastair Swarbrick, a liar and repeatedly berated the OAG, and McLaughlin said his objectivity was therefore in question and he needed to be replaced.

McTaggart, who is now a member of the PPM but was at the time an Independent, resigned as chairman but remain on the committee, while Miller, the Independent MLA from North Side, rejoined and took up the position of chair. The other members are Joey Hew (PPM), Winston Connolly (Independent) and Captain Eugene Ebanks (UDP).

That scrutiny begins with the National Land Development and Government Real Property report, which was made public in July and raised a catalogue of questions about the misuse of national land, problems with the Central Planning Authority and the so-called NRA agreement between the Dart group and government.

The meeting is scheduled to open at the LA at 9am and it is open to the public. CNS also understands that the proceedings will be broadcast live on the government’s TV channel.

The reports to be examined, which are all available on the OAG’s website, are as follows:

• National Land Development and Government Real Property, June 2015
• Management of the Nation Building Programme, July 2015
• Financial and Performance Reporting: Entire Public Sector, 30 June 2014
• Financial and Performance Reporting: Statutory Authorities and Government Companies  Sector, 30 June 2013 and 30 June 2014
• Financial and Performance Reporting: Ministries, Portfolios and Offices, 30 June 2013 and 30 June 2014
• Collecting Government Revenues, Sept 2015
• Government IT Security, Sept 2015
• Government Programmes Supporting Those in Need, May 2015