Taxpayers need accountability over Government data leaks

The Taxpayers’ Union says that the Stats NZ Chief Executive, Mark Sowden, should be sacked, not allowed to quietly leave at the end of his term following the findings of an inquiry into data breaches released by the Public Service Commission today.

“The findings are damning - if public accountability is to mean anything, the Government should be telling Mr Sowden not to bother coming to work tomorrow - not serve out another six weeks fully paid to save face,” said Taxpayers’ Union Spokesman James Ross.

“Let’s put this in perspective, the Stats boss allowed census and Covid vaccine data to be leaked and allegedly misused to favour a political party. It doesn’t get much more serious than that. Heads should be rolling, but yet-again these public sector bosses are quietly moved on to save face.”

“We saw the same with the Police Commissioner – a cushy job elsewhere in the public sector found for someone Ministers had lost confidence in. Instead of a revolving door, Sir Brian Roche needs to be making examples.”

“The situation with Stats NZ does create an awkward situation for the IRD’s bosses though. Last year, an IRD data leak saw over a quarter of a million taxpayers’ data handed to third parties completely unencrypted. The very criticisms of Stats NZ about lack of processes and systems are applicable to IRD. But the IRD breach was on a much larger scale and it appears laws were broken.”

“The Public Service Commissioner should turn his attention to Inland Revenue. The Department’s culture of burying its head in the sand won’t end unless the IRD Commissioner’s job is also on the line.”