Conflict of Interest - Yet Again

A number of people have raised a curious aspect of conflict of interest with me recently.

On 9th June, 2014, the Minister for Local Government issued a declaration that the conflict of interest provisions relating to the Local Government Advisory Board did not apply to the deliberations of the Board on current metropolitan local government (so-called) reform proposals.

Those conflicts of interest relate to discussion of matters relating to "a local government of which the member [of the LGAB] is a member or an employee". The Minister was entirely within his rights under the Local Government Act to issue such a declaration, but I (and many others) regard him as being misguided in doing so.

This declaration, however, does not void conflicts of interest the other way - nor does it void any conflicts of interest prior to 9th June.

It is to be sincerely hoped that those to whom this applies have formally declared their interest when their local government has been discussing matters relating to the Local Government Advisory Board and its deliberations on local government so-called reform.