JOB CHANGE HITS DEMOS
Turua dumped from Ombudsman
ANDREW TURUA has been dumped as Ombudsman, causing ripples in the Democratic Party and raising pressure on how his succession will be managed.
Sorting out the formalities looks like an early job for the incoming government after 26 September.
Turua’s dumping was no great secret given that Janet Maki had been tipped to take over the post, for the past several weeks.
The job had been advertised by the Public Service Commission, which was charged with administering the applications. Commissioner Navy Epati has now advised all the unsuccessful applicants by letter.
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Turua is a staunch Demo supporter in Avatiu and his sidelining is a campaign headache for the party that needs votes to unseat incumbent Cook Islands Party (CIP) member Peto Nicholas.
On the upside, replacing Turua with an official of Maki’s standing is an indication of government’s seriousness in re-building the credibility of the Ombudsman’s Office.
The Office has consistently fallen short in Turua’s charge. Successive budgets have been blown and the office has needed bailing out on more than one occasion.
The performance level of Turua has been questionable, especially since he had ignored instructions in the past and carried on in his own confusing fashion.
During the Woonton administration, Turua was instrumental in trying to get the government to take over radio broadcasting. He also pushed the introduction of a punitive Media Bill, and Official Information law, which would have given him additional powers.
The eventual dumping of Turua couldn’t have happened at a worse time for the Demo Party.
Sam Crocombe has launched a strong effort against Nicholas but the threat of losing votes from Turua is a real possibility.
Behind the scenes, the Demos had hoped for the dumping to take place after the election.
Once the new government takes office, Maki’s replacement as Solicitor-General will need urgent attention.

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