Stricter rules needed

DUNCAN GAY, the affable former roads minister, has obtained a post with a transport construction consultancy, securing his future after his time in Parliament. Some may say, good for him. We do not. When a former minister such as Mr Gay – or a former senior bureaucrat – moves into private enterprise in the same field as his or her public responsibilities covered, there arises an obvious danger of perceived corruption.

We make no allegation whatsoever of corruption against Mr Gay.

We do, however, say that his move to the MU Group looks spectacularly bad. That dire perception is improved not at all by the fact that Mr Gay has obtained the approval of State Parliament’s ethics adviser, John Evans, for this next step in his career. Mr Evans has given Mr Gay a fig leaf to draw across the naked embarrassment of his position, saying his work would not involve lobbying the government directly, but rather “mentoring and advising” other consultancy staff.

Mr Evans, that makes little difference. Mr Gay’s new bosses have not employed him to make the tea. They want his knowledge, contacts and expertise on roads – the portfolio where they do much of their work and derive their revenue. MU Group boasts about its connections on its website. It is how it wins business.

The intrusion of the profit motive into government functions and thinking blurs boundaries and skews perspectives. It is not surprising that privatisation and public-private partnerships are favoured, or that decisions to build one project rather than another are made on the basis of profitability – not efficiency, or desirability, or the public interest.

Time after time the public has seen the drawbacks and paid the price. No wonder voters are cynical about politicians.