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PAC Meeting Quietly Convened Without Kerfuffle
posted (November 10, 2017)
2 weeks ago, we showed you how Julius Espat, the Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, was calling the UDP Government out for the canceled meeting that they were supposed have. He was accusing them trying to frustrate the examination of Auditor General's Annual Report for the year, April 2012 to March 2013.

So, going into yesterday's meeting, it appeared that the Government and the Opposition members of the committee were at odds.

But, yesterday's meeting went off without incident. Today, when we got a chance speak with ranking UDP member, Deputy Prime Minister Patrick Faber he told us that both sides engaged in a mature conversation about what is wrong with the checks and balances for public spending:

Hon. Patrick Faber - Deputy Prime Minister
"I am pleased to say that we had a very productive meeting yesterday. As I said before, on the record, our first meeting to deal with the Auditor General's report of 2012-2013 was actually on August 28, and in that meeting, we actually set out the terms of how we were going to go about the meetings. And we set a schedule for 3 days; the last of those 3 dates was yesterday, November 9. And so, the members of the committee turned up in full, both from the Government's side, and the Opposition side. And Also, we met with the Auditor General at great length. In fact, we left, I think, at about 3 o'clock yesterday afternoon, after starting a little bit after 10 o'clock."

"The Public Accounts Committee, according to the standing orders of the House, should meet privately. Now, there are occasions when the standing orders allow for a decision by the Committee, to have public hearings. We believe firmly in the support of this committee for the Auditor General's work."

"This closer relationship though, and looking at the figures of the Government, keeping the Government on track, does not always bode well to be public because, of course, you see how things are. People pick up things, they might have a part of the story. They might have little bits and pieces, and it is blown out of proportion and taken the wrong way. We'd prefer to meet in confines of the Committee room of the House, and later once we have discussed what has transpired, and we get the views of experts, including the Auditor General, the Accountant General, and others who are very intricately concerned with the work that is being done. Then the matter is taken back to the House, where we can talk about it; we can debate about it. We can then give can do whatever kind of exposure needs to happen."

Daniel Ortiz, reporter
"In the past, the Chairman has accused saying, look, the Audit Report is saying that something along the lines of about over a million dollars in public spending is under question, and his suggestion has been that, 'Well, the Government doesn't want us to ventilate this publicly because they're embarrassed.'"

Hon. Patrick Faber
"We did not try to hide anything. This is public information. I am sure that the report has been now widely circulated in the population - I am sure that the media has certainly seen it. So, there is no hiding that that things have not been right. But, the truth of it is that things have not been right for many many years."

"I really must say that the Chairman really demonstrated yesterday what we have heard him saying time and time again that listen, this is not a witch hunt. This is not a same game for the Government, while you know we are not trying to hide anything. Maybe there are things that need to be exposed that are in that audit. But he has maintained that this getting things right and trying to fix the system."

Deputy Prime Minister Faber told us that the extended conversation with the Auditor General did not broach the topic of the Audit as yet. That conversation is expected to take place in subsequent PAC meetings.

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