And speaking of quarrels - it seems the staff of the Auditor General's office has a big one with their boss, the Auditor General Dorothy Bradley. The staff staged a sickout in protest today. This is after they circulated a letter to the media saying, quote, "we are unable to function properly due to the EXTREME lack of knowledge of the appointed Auditor General." They warn, quote, "something has to be done because frustration and aggravation (are) approaching critical levels." End quote.
Now, this is the same Auditor General responsible for those three damning reports detailing countless acts of corruption at the Immigration Department. She's a kind of sacred cow for anti-corruption crusaders but her staff is saying they are in quote, "full desperation mode," end quote.
Notably, this very strong and public attack comes right after the Senate hearings on immigration finished.
Today, the Prime Minister told the press he has been aware of the situation - but did not want to touch it while the hearings were underway:...
Rt. Hon. Dean Barrow - Prime Minister
"I'm not too sure what can be done from my point of view. I will have to look carefully at the situation but I was reluctant to even to do that for as long as the Senate inquiry was continuing. I did not want for anybody to suggest that any review of the complaints made by the audit staff against the Auditor General was being conducted by the executive as a way of trying to either influence her or punish her. She is constitutionally protected as, I believe, the DPP is but that can't mean that, with respect to her administrative remit and the discharge of her administrative duties, that she can't be questioned. And it is obvious that, to try to put it as neutrally as possible, she does not get along with her staff or her staff does not get along with her, there is no love lost between them. And there have been various efforts over the past year or so by the Public Service Union to try to get in there and see if there can be any way of pouring oil on troubled waters. That clearly has not worked. For a while the bulk of the staff there is up in arms, I had understood that they would be protesting or picketing this morning; sicked out. And so now, certainly with the commission's work having come to an end, I believe that we in the executive, and perhaps I, in particular, must now seek some sort of legal advice as to the options."
Jules Vasquez - Reporter
"Perhaps it can be interpreted as politically orchestrated that, you know, you push a few buttons with a few key people in the office and the next you know your bête noire is forced to be ejected."
Rt. Hon. Dean Barrow
"No, Jules. If you and the other media people talk to the public officers you will know that it is completely organic. These people from all that I gather are really really exercised about the issue. So, if there are still those who would want to try to make that charge well there is not going to be any help for it. As I've said, I have stayed my hand for a year. Now, it is time to not have the public officers feel that we just will forever give them a deaf ear."
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