Govt should stop ‘hiding behind Brexit’, GSD says

The GSD has accused the Chief Minister, Fabian Picardo, of using Brexit to shield him from basic accountability on domestic issues.
As the row over vacancies in the public service continued yesterday, the Opposition said it will not be deterred from asking questions.
The issue of public service vacancies is very simple, the GSD said in a statement yesterday.
“The GSD Opposition has received two very different answers to identical parliamentary questions within the space of three months and the excuses simply do not stack up,” it read.
The GSD reiterated that in October of last year it had asked for the number of vacancies across the public service and the Government provided details of all vacancies in Government Departments, Government owned companies, authorities and agencies including the GHA.
“In January 2017, the same question was asked and Mr Picardo said that he would not provide details of the number of vacancies in Government owned companies, authorities and agencies,” the Opposition said adding that this was a “monumental inconsistency” in approach.
“Yet again the Chief Minister resorts to hiding information rather than answering honestly,” it said.
Daniel Feetham, the Leader of the Opposition said: “I am really not surprised by the inconsistency in approach. Now that his five year reckless spending spree has caught up with him, Mr Picardo does not want his policy to be scrutinised.”
“The reality is that the Government is increasingly relying on the services of recruitment consultants to fill vacancies on a temporary basis. Mr Picardo should explain and defend his policy rather than hide behind smokescreens.”