Peter Bunting calls for contempt conviction after CEO misses PAC hearing

Opposition MP Peter Bunting has sharply criticised the non-appearance of a public official before Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC), describing the conduct as a direct affront to the committee’s oversight role. He said the absence should not be treated lightly, warning that PAC and other standing committee meetings would lose meaning if officials can ignore summonses without consequence.

Bunting pointed to a document tabled at the meeting from search firm Great People Solutions, dated August 20, 2023. He highlighted what he said was its opening finding: "it became clear in the interview with the internal candidate that there were troubling indicators of a culture of non-compliance that still needed to be course-corrected." He said he assumes that internal candidate is the person now serving as CEO.

He argued that the current situation supports the committee’s earlier decision not to appoint that candidate to the role. In his view, the latest development reflects exactly the kind of non-compliance concerns flagged at the time, and he said the official appears to be acting with impunity.

Bunting also linked the issue to what he called a long pattern of poor administration referenced in the Auditor General’s report. He said that, against that background, failing to attend the PAC amounts to contempt for parliamentary scrutiny and should be treated as unacceptable by the committee.

While acknowledging that a $200 penalty may be only a minor inconvenience, Bunting urged members to continue with a contempt conviction so the breach is formally recorded. He said even if the monetary sanction is limited, a conviction would still send a clear public signal that the committee rejects this behaviour and remains dissatisfied with the official’s response.