[Greens-Media] Tas Greens_Auditor-General To Investigate DPAC Polling_N McKim MP

[greens at parliament.tas.gov.au]

AUDITOR-GENERAL TO INVESTIGATE DPAC POLLING
 
Nick McKim MP
Greens Opposition Leader

Tuesday, 7 October 2008
Contact: State Parliamentary Offices of the Tasmanian Greens, (03) 6233
8300

www.tas.greens.org.au


The Tasmanian Greens today supported the Auditor-General's decision to
investigate the use of taxpayer's funds by the Department of Premier and
Cabinet (DPAC) to conduct political polling, the results of which were
provided to Labor Cabinet members but not to MPs of other political
parties or independent MPs.

Greens Opposition Leader Nick McKim MP, who wrote to Auditor-General
Mike Blake requesting the investigation, said that he believes there is
a prima facie case that taxpayer's money has been misused to provide an
electoral benefit to Labor MPs. 

"Mr Bartlett has some serious explaining to do, particularly as he would
have been privy to the results of these surveys during his time as
Minister for Education, and subsequently allowed the practice to
continue while he was Premier."

"Taxpayer's money should only be spent when there is a community
benefit, and certainly not for the political advantage of government
MPs."

"It is unacceptable that taxpayer's money is used for the electoral
advantage of government MPs, and I'm very glad that the Auditor-General
has decided to investigate the use of taxpayer funds by DPAC to conduct
polling, the results of which were apparently made available to Cabinet
Ministers."

Mr McKim said that Mr Bartlett should release the results of the polling
immediately.

"If Mr Bartlett is fair dinkum about supporting government transparency
he should have no difficulty in releasing taxpayer funded survey
results, and any failure to do so would be hypocritical in the extreme."




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