Lying in unison (A)

Abstract

This is part of a case series (Case Reference no. 413-115-1 and Teaching note Reference no. 413-114-8). In mid-2003 James Buwalda, the new Secretary for the New Zealand Department of Labour, walked into a big political firestorm. Within a week of arriving the job he had launched an investigation into the conduct of his new team over accusations that they had misled the public and the Ombudsman in a very sensitive case involving the arrival of an Algerian refugee. For the previous eight months the New Zealand Immigration Service (NZIS) part of his new department had been wracked with controversy. Besides the obvious ethical issues, this case can be used for a variety of discussion purposes, many of them centring around accountability, for instance, the relationship between accountability and employer responsibility. An examination of the issues involved in the conducting or and participating in inquiries will also generate some lively discussion, as most public sector managers will experience an inquiry in one way or another