Sacking taints programme

Queen’s Representative Sir Fredrick Goodwin outlined the Government’s programme when he opened the 46th session of Parliament before a large audience.
Improving systems of governance was one of the main objectives stressed at the start of the speech.
The speech opened painting a bright picture of a rosy future. However, one senses a weakness in capacity to deliver on promises.
That has already been demonstrated only days before in how Cabinet treated one key position in the civil service. That is the Chairmanship of the Cook Islands Investment Corporation (CIIC).
The fact that a Chairman displaying a good, unbiased, approach to governance was removed is not a good way to start off the programme. With the top job being tainted by a political sacking, it may follow that all else that develops will be tainted. The worry is the effect and the impression it will leave on the rest of the programme.
HIGHLIGHTS
The speech highlights Government’s priorities for this session and many of these are already known. For example;
- political reform measures such as anti-party hopping,
- improvement in the public sector in regard to professionalism, delivery of services and accountability,
- improvements in infrastructure and disaster management
- improvements in policing and health
- educational improvements at primary and secondary levels
- enhancements to tourism through marketing and air service links
- outer island development
- safeguarding the environment
- concern for people’s welfare
n preservation and enrichment of the culture
The speech will also be remembered for what it doesn’t mention.
The programme does not include any reference to any Commerce Bill, Consumer Guarantees Bill or Fair Trading Bill. Despite approaches from the Chamber of Commerce, Government does not regard consumer protection as a priority in this session of parliament.
Also not a priority this session is any review of the legal system and land and criminal laws. Perhaps this will surface in some other session of Parliament.

Headlines : Times 189 26 Feb 2007
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- Insider tells of election plots, plans
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