By having NSW Parliament prorogued two months early Kristina Keneally has avoided answering numerous questions on notice relating to her incompetent State Labor Government's waste and mismanagement.
Chairman of the NSW Liberals & Nationals WasteWatch Committee, Jonathan O'Dea, said it meant questions on notice, an important mechanism of government accountability, have been rendered impotent.
The Clerk of the Legislative Assembly, Mr Russell Grove, has confirmed that the effect of prorogation is that questions on notice, due to be answered after 22 December, "are not required to be answered".
"I have placed a number of important questions on notice which no longer require Ministerial answers because of Kristina Keneally's actions. These include questions regarding updated costs of:
- The abandoned CBD Metro project;
- The abandoned Tillegra Dam project; and
- Displaced or excess employees within the NSW public service.
"NSW taxpayers have a right to know how their money is being spent. They have billions of reasons to be suspicious of this Government's ability to be fiscally responsible," Mr O'Dea said.
"The Keneally Labor Government's attempt to avoid the Legislative Council's inquiry into the sale of NSW electricity assets has received much deserved attention and will most likely reveal further government waste and mismanagement.
"However, the failure to answer other outstanding questions on notice relating to Labor's systematic waste and mismanagement also demonstrates the Keneally Government's contempt for Parliamentary accountability.
"We need a NSW Liberals & Nationals Government to restore integrity and trust to government in NSW," said Mr O'Dea.
