Accountability

Since my last letter, I have received numerous phone calls and correspondence regarding the Government and how they are covering things up. One copy of a document I received was an agreement in 1988 to transfer archives of archaeologists reports on pre-Maori civilisation in New Zealand.

There is nothing strange about this transfer until you note its contents are embargoed until 2063. This raised serious alarm bells as to why the findings of a group of archaeologists needed to be kept secret for this length of time. Is there something in their findings that goes against current Government policy or does it contain definitive proof that Maori were NOT the first inhabitants of this country.

By keeping these facts hidden the public are being denied their history, so much for the transparency of Government when history can be hidden and distorted to suit political ends. By embargoing information like this it shows how democracy in this country has gone out the window. The public are being denied information by the very politicians they elected.

We need a job description for politicians, one they must adhere to with accountability to constituents. This would enable the public to call politicians to answer for their actions and if enough voters decide their representative was not doing what they were elected for they should be able to fire them and vote in someone else. Government is: By the people for the people – not the individuals elected to represent them. Paul Rea Hawera