Upton to become PCE
One News reports:
Former Environment Minister Simon Upton is all but confirmed as the new Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment.
The Offices of Parliament committee has recommended that he be appointed for a five year term, beginning October 9.
He’ll replace outgoing commissioner Jan Wright.
Now with the Paris-based OECD group, Mr Upton, a former National Party minister, was in Wellington last week to launch a progress report on New Zealand’s environment.
Normally it would be unusual for a former Minister to be appointed an Officer of Parliament, but the fact Labour and Greens support the appointment shows they think Simon Upton will be independent.
Simon has been head of the OECD’s Environment Division since 2010 and prior to that was Chair of the OECD Round Table on Sustainable Development. He was also theNZ Minister for the Environment from 1990 to 1999 so he has around 25 years of experience in environmental issues.