It has been four years since the Register of Interests Act was brought into force, but the register itself is still a blank book, said Registrar of Interests Victoreen Romney-Varlack during the recent deliberations of the Standing Finance Committee.
Before anything can be officially entered into the book, Ms. Romney-Varlack told legislators, a Standing Select Committee must be appointed, and that can’t happen until lawmakers update the Standing Orders to conform to the territory’s Constitution. Like the Public Accounts Committee, the Standing Select Committee is to be made up of sitting lawmakers.
“Members should be thankful that the register was not a public document, because if it were, there would be nothing to inspect,” Ms. Romney-Varlack is recorded as saying in the SFC report.
She went on to say that she had raised the matter of needing a select committee at every SFC meeting since her appointment in February 2008.
For now, Ms. Romney-Varlack keeps the “very elementary” declarations filed by legislators in file folders, the report states.
See the April 19, 2012 edition for full coverage.
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