Corrections chief refuses to go

Barry Matthews. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Corrections Department chief executive Barry Matthews has said he will not resign.

Mr Matthews was expected to step down from his $375,000-a-year role after Corrections Minister Judith Collins refused to express confidence in him over Auditor-General Kevin Brady's damning report into parole.

Mr Brady examined 100 parole cases, including 52 high-risk offenders, and reported that in most of them the correct procedures were not followed.

Staff did not even carry out some of the special provisions brought in after parolee Graeme Burton murdered Karl Kuchenbecker in January 2007.

But Mr Matthews told reporters this morning he was doing the best he could and wanted to stay on to drive change in the department.

He said his department had a difficult job to do reaching more stringent standards and monitoring parole after the Graeme Burton case, but it did not have enough resources.

Mr Matthews said the department needed a "step change" and he was "committed to staying on" and driving that change through.

He said he did not have "any fears" about what the State Services Commissioner would find in his investigation of who was responsible for the Auditor-General's report.

Mr Matthews also said he did not believe Ms Collins had been trying to get rid of him.

Labour yesterday claimed that the State Services Commission had asked Mr Matthews to resign in return for a sweetheart job.

- with NZPA

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