System Loophole - Northern Advocate -
14thNovember 2011
Buck passing
I write in regards to Advocate article on 28th October, ‘Parking fine refunds for mailed
tickets’. I sent a simple Official Information Act
request to Whangarei District Council, in regards to Cr John Williamson, who
had his wife’s parking ticket squashed. Councils reply, in what appeared to be a cover up attempt, on how they cancelled
this councillors parking ticket, has in turn has exposed a loophole in their
system. This OIA request “was referred to Mr
Dell, Group Manager, District Living for response”. Hello, Mr Paul Dell was the one that had ultimately
cancelled the ticket. In his attempt to
fob me off and his possible attempt to cover his own backside, he supplied a much earlier memo, dated
9th December 2010. I was not fooled
by it, as it made no real sense. So
thanks Mr Dell; it's a shame the fault bypassed you and through the media has turned
on Mr Grant Couchman and also Mr Alan Adcock who had signed the OIA reply letter
to me. A lesson learnt; have someone check what is being sent if one is trying
to protect ones but. Where else would
you see someone investigating their own enquiry? One thing it has done for me is prove what
extremes some people may go to.
Remember this parking infringement was
issued in good faith by a parking warden tasked to do a job, enforcing the
law. Why has their integrity been put at
stake?
(OIA Request is all available on my website -
www.warrenslater.co.nz/Links page)
Warren Slater
Maunu
(items abridged in
italics for Northern Advocate copy)