BACKGROUND INFO THAT EXPLAINS THE ROLE OF THE OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND WHY THEY SHOULD HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH THE S.I.S.! My formal request (12 September 2014) to Cheryl Gwyn to extend the scope of her inquiry into the role of the Office of the Prime Minister, which, in my considered opinion is completely OUT OF CONTROL: This is a formal request for you to please ensure that your current in-depth and robust inquiry into claims Security Intelligence Service (SIS) information was used for political purposes covers the underpinning role of the Office of the Prime Minister. (if it does not already do so). ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: IGIS_Enquiries Date: Fri, Sep 12, 2014 at 3:47 PM Subject: RE: Response to your request attached UNCLASSIFIED To: Penny Bright Received safely. __________________________________________________________ 12 September 2014 Cheryl Gwyn Inspector-General Intelligence and Security OPEN LETTER Dear Inspector-General, This is a formal request for you to please ensure that your current in-depth and robust inquiry into claims Security Intelligence Service (SIS) information was used for political purposes covers the underpinning role of the Office of the Prime Minister. (if it does not already do so). My full name is Penelope Mary Bright. DISCLOSURE: I am currently standing as an Independent candidate in the Helensville electorate. BACKGROUND: In 1981 I was publicly named in Prime Minister Robert Muldoons famous SIS list as a subversive arising from my role in organising opposition to the Springbok Tour. I have never been able to get a copy of my SIS file, although I have not been a member of any politically active party for over 30 years, and have no history of violent offending. I was also unable to get it confirmed or denied whether I was one of the 88 New Zealanders upon whom the GCSB unlawfully spied. My submission made directly to Prime Minister John Key on the GCSB Bill, is available here: (11 minutes) youtube/watch?v=qQgLJixhB4A Since 2000 - I have chosen to work full time as a self-funded anti-privatisation and latterly anti-corruption Public Watchdog. During that time, I have now attended four significant international anti-corruption conferences, met the experts, read the material, and put my mind to the New Zealand corruption reality. 2009 Attendee: Australian Public Sector Anti-Corruption Conference 2010 Attendee Transparency International Anti-Corruption Conference 2013 Attendee: Australian Public Sector Anti-Corruption Conference 2014 Attendee: G20 Anti-Corruption Conference Here is the link to the ACTION PLAN against white collar crime, corruption and corporate welfare, which I have developed: pennybright4mayor.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/ANTI-CORRUPTION-WHITE-COLLAR-CRIME-CORPORATE-WELFARE-ACTION-PLAN-Ak-Mayoral-campaign-19-July-2013-2.pdf This ACTION PLAN is a far cry from New Zealands perceived status as the least corrupt country in the world (currently shared with Denmark, according to Transparency Internationals 2013 Corruption Perception Index) transparency.org/cpi2013/results (This perceived status being based upon the subjective opinions of anonymous businesspeople.) having just turned 60 years of age, I have a wide range of life experience. I have never attended University, but am a qualified Tradesperon with Advanced Trade in Sheetmetal Engineering, was NZs first Certified Board for Inspectorate Personnel (CBIP) ticketed woman Welding Inspector, and was for 9 years a Welding Tutor at Manukau Institute of Technology. pennybright4mayor.org.nz/qualifications/ My work experience includes having been a Quality Assurance Co-ordinator at a stainless steel fabrication plant, which has given me a good grasp of process and planning. So - why Im writing to you is to express my strongest concerns about the apparent total failure of quality assurance systems and processes at the highest levels of the New Zealand Government, in particular, the Office of the Prime Minister, which appears to be completely out of control. According to the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (DPMC) website, the roles of the DPMC and Office of the Prime Minister, are supposed to be quite different and totally separate. dpmc.govt.nz/dpmc Issues that arise across the full range of government business DPMC provides a continuous flow of advice to the Prime Minister on major and daily issues, along with oversight of wider government activity and access to information and assessments. DPMC also works directly with Ministers on specific issues. The Deputy Prime Minister plays a lead role on behalf of the Prime Minister over a number of the government’s policy programmes and DPMC supports him on some of these matters from time to time. DPMC works with central agencies to draw together departments in support of the Government’s priorities, to focus agencies on providing options for action, to ensure implementation of agreed programmes and policies, to drive for enhanced agency performance, and to deal effectively with issues which affect the nation. DPMC also provides the secretariat support for decision making by the Cabinet and its committees. Administrative support to the Prime Minister This includes preparation of replies to Parliamentary questions, and dealing with Official Information Act requests and other correspondence. A totally separate body, the Office of the Prime Minister, also advises the Prime Minister: it is the primary point of responsibility for managing political issues and relationships with other political parties and for providing administrative and media support. _________________________________________________________ In brief, as I understand it, the Prime Minister has two roles, one as the Leader of the New Zealand Government, and the other as the Leader of party political National Party. In his role as Leader of the New Zealand Government, the Prime Minister has the DPMC, to provide top level, impartial, apolitical advice on a range of matters, including those related to security. dpmc.govt.nz/ ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT About the Department The Role of DPMC The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (DPMC) serves the Executive (the Governor-General, the Prime Minister and the Cabinet) through the provision of high quality impartial advice and support services… _______________________________________________________ The Office of the Prime Minister, the role of which is apparently not covered by statute or regulation, is deeply politically partisan / party political, to help cover the Prime Minister as Leader of the National Party. It is my considered opinion, that it is fundamentally wrong for the politically partisan Office of the Prime Minister to have dealings with the SIS, at any time. In my considered opinion, if the SIS is in direct contact with the party political Office of the Prime Minister - then the role of the SIS has become politicised - end of story. In my opinion, for whatever reason, clear lines of demarcation between the roles of the DPMC and Office of the Prime Minister are effectively non-existent. Not only is the role of the Office of the Prime Minister not subject to statute or regulation, it also lacks procedures and protocols, as is clearly stated in the attached OIA reply from Wayne Eagleson, Chief of Staff of the Office of the Prime Minister. (Why anyone from the Office of the Prime Minister, including the Chief of Staff Wayne Eagleson is answering Official Information Act requests, is also a real matter of concern, as it is NOT his job, as i understand it.) I am not sure whether your terms of reference into the current inquiry which I understand you launched at your own initiative, extend to covering the role of the Office of the Prime Minister, but in my considered opinion, if they dont - they should, because therein lies this apparently deep-seated problem. Which is - in my considered opinion - that the Office of the Prime Minister is completely out of control. If the role of the Office of the Prime Minister is not set by statute or regulation - then that needs to change - URGENTLY. FYI, following is a MEDIA ALERT which I sent out yesterday on this matter: ________________________________________________________ 11 September 2014 MEDIA ALERT! Is the politically partisan Office of the Prime Minister actually out of control? YES according to this OIA reply, received today 11 September 2014, by Prime Minister John Keys Chief of Staff, Wayne Eagleson: (attached) 3) Copies of the procedure or protocol(s) to be followed by all staff attached to or employed by the Office of the Prime Minister. There are no specific procedures or protocols to be followed by Ministerial office staff. 4) A copy of the organisational flow chart (or the like) which shows the clear reporting framework to be followed by all staff in your Office of the Prime Minister. There is no organisational chart for this Office and, accordingly, this part of your request is formally declined under section 18(e) of the Official Information Act that the document alleged to contain the information requested does not exist or cannot be found. 5) A copy of the budget for your Office of the Prime Minister, with a clear breakdown of monies paid by whom, for what, on an annual basis from 2008 - 2014. There is no separate budget for the Office of the Prime Minister. The Department of Internal Affairs has a budget for all Ministerial offices as a whole, but not for individual offices. However, I can confirm that all staff in this Office report to me as the Chief of Staff for both the Office of the Prime Minister and the Office of the Leader of the Parliamentary National Party. __________________________________________________________ As some one who has never been able to get a copy of my SIS file, and could not get it confirmed or denied that I was one of the 88 New Zealanders upon whom the GCSB unlawfully spied upon, I am REALLY concerned with the revelations contained within this OIA reply. Is anybody else? If not - why not? Penny Bright Anti-corruption / anti-privatisation Public Watchdog
Posted on: Mon, 24 Nov 2014 23:57:11 +0000
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