‘Load of Rubbish’: NZ Auditor General Excoriates Public Sector, Says Accountability Weak

John Ryan has bluntly told politicians that there is insufficient accountability for much of the $160 billion in annual government spending.

New Zealand flags fly in front of The Beehive during the Commission Opening of Parliament in Wellington, New Zealand, on Oct. 20, 2014. Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images

New Zealand’s Auditor General John Ryan has excoriated the quality of reporting from government officials, saying they were producing “a load of rubbish.”

Speaking to Parliament’s Finance and Expenditure Select Committee, he said poor performance meant ministers and the public were unable to judge whether taxes were being well spent and what agencies were achieving.