31 May 2011

Maxine Cooper to be the Auditor-General?

| johnboy
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The ABC reports that occasional RiotACT contributor and environment commissioner Maxine Cooper has been nominated by the Government to fill the role of Auditor-General.

The widely respected former Auditor-General Tu Pham finished her seven year stretch in March.

The new appointment must be ratified by the Legislative Assembly’s public accounts committee.

“Dr Cooper will bring to the position significant public sector management experience and expertise,” said Chief Minister Katy Gallagher.

“As commissioner for sustainability and the environment, she has performed her duties dutifully … and has clearly demonstrated her capacity to work with the ACT Government entities whilst maintaining an independent role.

UPDATE: Katy Gallagher has managed to get her media release online:

“Dr Cooper will bring to the position significant public sector management experience and expertise.”

“As Commissioner for Sustainability and the Environment, she has performed her duties dutifully as an independent Statutory Office holder and has clearly demonstrated her capacity to work with the ACT Government entities whilst maintaining an independent role,” the Chief Minster said.

Since graduating from Curtin University, Western Australia in 1978 with a Bachelor of Urban and Regional Studies, Dr Cooper has worked in a variety of arenas in both the public and private sectors, including appointment to the statutory positions of Territory Conservator for Flora and Fauna and the Chief Animal Welfare Officer.

Dr Cooper completed her Masters of Environmental Design at the University of Calgary in Canada in 1983 and a PhD in Environmental Planning, Melbourne University in 1991.

“Dr Cooper’s background is one that has encompassed many reviews and investigations and it is these skills which will be called upon in the Auditor General position. I am pleased to recommend Dr Cooper for this key role, one that is an important part of the accountability and transparency structure of government,” the Chief Minister said.

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housebound said :

Let’s face it, what government would want someone as stunningly independent as Tu Pham?

+1

I’d vote for anyone – perhaps even a Lib – who promised to reinstate Thu Phan. She’s a living ACT treasure.

Hmmm, I don’t think anyone ever accused Tu Pham of being an accountant or even a leading light in accountancy thought.

To be fair the best part of being an Auditor General is that you can be wrong in opinion, fact and legislation but everything you say is taken as gospel. All oppositions love Auditors General because they will always critisise the government, even if the report is balanced. Governments universally loathe Auditors for the same reason.

A smart government? Yeah right.

I have found Maxine Cooper to be very capabe, and am sure she will do well in this new role. As one of those who went through the ‘Urban Forest’ process, which she oversaw, I can hand on my heart say it was the most open, engaging and rigorous public review Ive been through. All views were considered and listened to. Whether government chooses to act on the reviews recommendations is no reflection upon her. Im sure she will apply the same ethos to the AG position.

Organisations values often come from the top down, and in Maxine Cooper I think the AG office will act in the interests of ACT residents.

housebound said :

Let’s face it, what government would want someone as stunningly independent as Tu Pham?

Well a smart government, aware of the myriad failings of its public service, would want someone to find problems early.

Not sure we have that sort of government…

Let’s face it, what government would want someone as stunningly independent as Tu Pham?

I don’t recall seeing this position advertised – another job for the girls. She is nevertheless well qualified to do a first class stocktake at the National Plantation where she can count up the number of various trees and report results to Senors Stanhope and Mackay.

Mr Evil said :

I wonder if Tu Pham and Jon Stanhope still keep in touch with each other, as they seemed to work really well together in public life.

Lol. I doubt we will ever see anyone as brave and as committed as Tu Pham was. What a shining beacon for true accountability, and how Stanhope (and Corbell) hated having the light shone on some of their more inglorious moments.

Maxine Cooper lost me the day she supported the tree-killing development spree in East O’Malley. That subdivision had the potential to be first-rate but she did nothing to protect significant parts of the area.

I wonder if Tu Pham and Jon Stanhope still keep in touch with each other, as they seemed to work really well together in public life.

She has experience in environmental issues, but no experience in public accountability or accounting which I believe are the main 2 focuses of the position of Auditor-General. The proposed appointment stinks of political game playing to me.

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