At all levels (local government, national government,
statutory regulators, industry bodies) we are ruled by
unelected bureaucrats – who are accountable to
nobody.
Local Government
Our part time Mayors
and Councillors are powerless against their highly paid
CEOs, who can ignore them at will and who work according to
their own agendas (which no-one has voted for).
Elect
the Conservatives to Parliament, and we will pass
legislation to allow incoming Mayors to also become the CEO
of their own local authority – should they so wish (they are
still subject to the law and to the votes of full Council).
If you don’t like what they do, you can vote them out at the
next local elections.
National
Government
Ministers have little power to compel
their senior staff to act according to their directions (and
according to the will of the electorate).
Elect the
Conservatives to Parliament, and we will pass legislation
allowing Ministers to appoint their own senior staff
(subject to the approval of the Prime Minister and
Cabinet).
Statutory Regulators
Elect the
Conservatives to Parliament, and we will ensure that all
important decisions (such as sanctions) by statutory bodies
(for example by the Teachers’ Council, or by the Medical
Council) are subject to approval by the relevant Minister
(whose decision should be final). As these bodies are
accountable to nobody, they should only have the power to
recommend. The Minister, as part of government, is at least
accountable to voters once every 3 years.
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Where
statutory bodies have clearly become ideologically and/or
politically captured (the Teachers’ Council and the Medical
Council are good examples), they should be abolished (as was
done recently with the Broadcasting Standards Authority). If
necessary, they can be replaced with a new authority, with a
new charter emphasising freedom of expression and opinion,
and with 100% new staff.
Industry Bodies
Where
a national industry body has clearly become ideologically
and/or politically captured (the Real Estate Institute of
New Zealand is a good example), the government should allow
and encourage the setting up of a rival institution, with a
charter emphasising freedom of expression and opinion. Let
the market decide which is a better industry
body.
