Critical to national interests?

Dear Editor, Through your newspaper may I request government to publicly reveal through the Official Information Act the level of remuneration paid out to former public servant Navy Epati to be a member of the Public Service HOM selection committee concerning the recent appointment of HOMs for Ministries of Marine Resources, Foreign Affairs, Infrastructure and Planning and the Public Service Commission? Also, can the government reveal how much they paid the same individual to accompany the PM, MMR Minister, MMR Secretary and others on the recent trip to Napier for fisheries related matters? Surely Epati’s ’services’ in both instances were not of critical importance to the country’s national interests? Concerned Taxpayer (Name and address supplied) The office of the public service commissioner responds: Panel remuneration is governed by Order of Executive Council ECM (11) 09 where it provides for the following: each member of the heads of department selection panel must be paid at a rate of $30 for each full hour, and for each part hour of 30 minutes or longer, that the members attend a panel meeting or interview.

Dear Editor, Through your newspaper may I request government to publicly reveal through the Official Information Act the level of remuneration paid out to former public servant Navy Epati to be a member of the Public Service HOM selection committee concerning the recent appointment of HOMs for Ministries of Marine Resources, Foreign Affairs, Infrastructure and Planning and the Public Service Commission? Also, can the government reveal how much they paid the same individual to accompany the PM, MMR Minister, MMR Secretary and others on the recent trip to Napier for fisheries related matters? Surely Epati’s ’services’ in both instances were not of critical importance to the country’s national interests? Concerned Taxpayer (Name and address supplied) The office of the public service commissioner responds: Panel remuneration is governed by Order of Executive Council ECM (11) 09 where it provides for the following: each member of the heads of department selection panel must be paid at a rate of $30 for each full hour, and for each part hour of 30 minutes or longer, that the members attend a panel meeting or interview.