When I was completing my commerce degree at Otago University (a long, long time ago now…) I did a paper called Public Sector Accountability. I chose the paper because I thought it would be easy, but 20 plus years later, I can’t help but reflect how relevant the contents remain.

The paper essentially assessed the level of accountability held/maintained in the Public Sector compared to the Private Sector. What became clear was the level of accountability maintained in the Public Sector was materially lower than that held/seen in the Private Sector. In fact, I remember thinking the paper should have been called “Public Sector Accountability or lack thereof.”

Why am I bringing this up now? The recent election has reminded me how there still appears to be a lack of accountability in the Public Sector.

For several years now I have seen the level of misleading and/or factually incorrect statements increase (from all parties in government), and what worries me is that the more it becomes the norm, the more misleading and factually incorrect statements we appear to be getting. 

While such issues also arise in the private sector, there tends to be various controls and measures to limit the level and to hold people to account if such statements are made.

For example, companies present to boards and shareholders, and resolutions can be raised to resolve an issue if required. In addition, professionals such as accountants, lawyers and doctors are guided by ethical oversight principles and, if required, disciplinary processes.

While some controls and oversight exist in the Public Sector, they appear to be rarely used, and very rarely result in disciplinary processes.

In a world where ‘fake news’ appears to be increasing and becoming more acceptable over time, I can’t help but wonder why the level of accountability held in the Public Sector is much lower than the consequences an individual typically faces in the Private Sector. And why the media doesn’t spend more time fact checking and challenging misleading and factually incorrect statements.

I would love to see an ethical oversight board established in the Public Sector that is governed by a set of ethical principles which bureaucrats must acknowledge and adhere to. It would be great to see people held to account for misleading or factually incorrect comments, with appropriate ramifications for repeat offenders. Without such oversight/process I can only see the issue growing further as it becomes the norm.

A new government is about to take the reins of our country for three years, one that has actively promoted ‘change’ and holding people in the Public Sector to ‘account’ to deliver moving forward.

Thinking back to the uni paper I sat, I can only hope that this government is serious and that finally a framework is established to hold the Public Sector to account. Otherwise, if not, we are just hearing more of the same, and the ultimate loser (in my view) is the NZ taxpayer and citizen.