The Public Accounts Committee – is the issue running hot or cold? For a temperature reading we'd have to look to the social partners who would be members under the plan to re-constitute the membership of the committee: the Council of Churches has refrained from making a public statement, the Chamber gave a lukewarm response, and…the Trade Union Congress? Well, they weighed in today – and they're still with it. The union umbrella group thrashed the response from the Prime Minister's Office. Their statement says they reiterate their strong support for the restructuring of the PAC. They take issue with the PM's statement that re-constituting the committee will be too costly, asking quote, "what amount of money does it take for this committee to execute its mandate?"
The NTUCB also criticizes the government for proposing to have meetings without the Opposition Chair – saying it undermines true democracy.
And while the standing Orders make strict rules for how the PAC should be composed – with no provision for civil society, the NTUCB notes that quote, "in the past provisions were made for constitutional changes to accommodate the nationalization of companies and the composition of the senate."
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