New Minister of State for Finance Wonders Whether Inquiry is Useful

Carla Barnett

Doctor Senator Carla Barnett did not necessarily reject an investigation, but questioned the usefulness of senate select committees. Barnett queried why the audit was not presented to the management of the department before it was tabled.  She pointed out that the senate doesn’t have authority to hold people accountable. That aside, Chebat, who sat in for Eamon Courtenay today, pointed out later that findings of a senate investigation of wrongdoing would be forwarded to the appropriate authorities for action.

Dr. Carla Barnett, U.D.P. Senator

“I have had a lot of discussion with my colleague on the left over the years about the usefulness of senate select committees because it’s ventilation, but the senate committee doesn’t have the authority to hold the people to account and so we saw all of that drama in the twenty-two months and at the end of the day it is a lot of preparation and then nothing happens. And that is in the nature of the senate select committee and the role that the senate plays. I would prefer to see some kind of committee that would have some kind of ability to actually do something. And one of the things that needs to be done, I agree with Senator Duncan—one of the things that need to be done is the review of where we are now to take account or whether or not what has been done closes the gaps that have been identified in the report.”