VIC: Secrecy comments in Australia wide context: Baragwanath

AAP General News (Australia)
08-26-1999
VIC: Secrecy comments in Australia wide context: Baragwanath

MELBOURNE, Aug 26 AAP - Victoria's recently-retired auditor-general Ches Baragwanath said
he is concerned about government secretiveness all over Australia, not just in Victoria.

In a speech last night, Mr Baragwanath, a well-known critic of the Kennett government, said
the Westminster style of government allowed politicians to evade public scrutiny and
accountability.

He said Australians should "be massing in the streets to campaign against ... erosions of
liberty and to prevent them ever again being subject to such threat".

But he said today that the call to arms was not limited to Victoria as reported by some
media.

A state election will be held on September 18.

"When I spoke last night I made the point that all Westminster governments seemed to be
extremely secretive," he told Melbourne Radio 3AW.

"I was more calling for Australian voters to mass in the streets when there are any
erosions of their liberties."

He said his comments did relate in part to the Victorian context.

"I think one of the things that I have been perturbed about over the last few years is the
claims of commercial confidentiality to shield contractual relationships with private sector
contractors," he said.

"I don't think that that's appropriate.

"It's probably the bureaucracy that's probably more secretive than the executive
government."

He said he got on with Premier Jeff Kennett quite well, despite repeated reports that he
did not.

AAP st/jlw/was/br

KEYWORD: POLLVIC AUDITOR DAYLEAD

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