David Carter says he has "complete confidence" in Auditor General Martin Matthews.
New Zealand First leader Winston Peters has taken aim at Speaker David Carter - putting forward a motion accusing him of abuse of power over the appointment of Martin Matthews as Auditor-General.
Peters is unhappy with Carter's handling of the affair, saying his statement that the decision for an inquiryinto Matthews' suitability as Auditor-General was unanimous was incorrect.
While Peters called for an inquiry ahead of last week's decision to hold one, he said his party was not given a chance to discuss the terms of reference, and has labelled the process "last-minute" and having "the hands of the Beehive all over it".
He has now given notice of a motion that the House has no confidence in Carter as Speaker "due to his gross misunderstanding of Standing Orders, for inconsistent Speakers' Rulings and for abusing his power as Speaker during and after the Martin Matthews' appointment as Auditor-General".
Auditor General Martin Matthews has stepped aside while the inquiry is carried out.
Carter inaccurately reported the proceedings of the Officers of Parliament Committee meeting on the Matthews inquiry, Peters' motion states, and had subsequently repeated his personal view of the propriety of the Auditor-General's appointment.
"All of which is resulting in an absolute failure to uphold and protect the standards and reputation of this Parliament."
Peters told the Herald while NZ First MP Clayton Mitchell agreed at the meeting an inquiry was needed, there was no agreement as to how it would be carried out.
The informal timeframe of a couple of weeks was "utterly ridiculous" for such an investigation, Peters said, and spoke to the Government's "desire to obtain a certain outcome".
A spokesman for Carter said the decision to hold an inquiry was unanimous, as previously stated to media.
"NZ First did want an opportunity to discuss who would undertake the inquiry with their caucus, but everybody else on the committee thought it was better to finalise who would undertake the inquiry, as the inquiry was announced."
In a highly unusual case, Matthews last week volunteered to step aside so his suitability for the role could be reviewed by senior public servant Sir Maarten Wevers. That process will start on Wednesday and is expected to be complete within a fortnight.
Peters and other opposition MPs have raised concerns about whether Matthews failed to pick up or act on fraudulent activity in his former role as Secretary of Transport. Matthews led the ministry while former senior manager Joanne Harrison stole $750,000 through fake invoices. Harrison was jailed in February.
Carter had previously stood by Matthews, saying the Serious Fraud Office had described his performance has exemplary during the investigation into Harrison. He repeated that view last week, but said he would await the report from Sir Maarten.
On the timeframe, Carter said he hoped the inquiry would be complete in a fortnight, but that would ultimately be up to Sir Maarten. In a statement last week, Matthews said he stood by his actions, which were based on the information available to him at the time.
Speaker David Carter. Photo / Mark Mitchell.
A proposition brought before the House for consideration is called a motion, and a written notice of a MP's intention to move a motion is required and published on the Order Paper for one week. Very few MPs' motions are dealt with by the House. Those that are normally non-controversial congratulatory or condolatory motions.
NZ First members have been ordered out of Parliament after objecting to the rulings of Carter, a former Cabinet minister and National MP.
Last year Peters intimated he would block the appointment of Carter as New Zealand's High Commissioner in London, if in power. Carter then took the unusual step of delivering a press statement to press gallery reporters, denying he wanted a change of job.
