A campaigner for openness in local government says he is outraged that planned reforms are going out to consultation again.

The Department of Infrastructure wants feedback on proposed changes to ’further improve openness and transparency’ within local authorities.

It is proposing to implement the recommendations of a Tynwald select committee, requiring members of local authorities to declare any interests that could potentially influence how they carry out their duties. A register of interests would be available for public inspection.

But Rae Hamilton, whose Tynwald Day petition sparked the select committee inquiry, said those recommendations were made back in 2012 and nothing has been done about them since.

He said from his home in Onchan: ’This matter should absolutely not be subject to any further form of consideration or consultation whatsoever. It is already the will of Tynwald that the necessary legislation be implemented, which should have been done five years ago.’

Other proposed amendments cover issues such as members’ expenses and allowances, managing political vacancies, the functioning of joint boards, and local authority boundaries and governance.

The Bill also aims to remove uncertainty over the qualifications for election and holding office.

Mr Hamilton said it showed a ’shameful contempt’ for him as petitioner and a ’total disregard’ for the Petition for Redress of Grievance process, that DoI has yet to implement the recommendations.

’The mere suggestion that the will of Tynwald should now be subject to further consultation is an absolute outrage,’ he said.

Mr Hamilton submitted his petition on Tynwald Hill in 2011 calling for a select committee to investigate allegations of a conflict of interest and wrongdoings within Onchan Commissioners in connection with the squash courts saga.

The committee’s main recommendation for a public register of members’ interests could have been achieved easily by minor amendment to the existing legislation, he believes. Instead, the DoI opted to include the reforms in major amendments to the Local Government Act.

’This created a wholly unacceptable and utterly ridiculous delay,’ said Mr Hamilton. ’It is now more than eight years since the events that triggered the petition, six years since the date of the petition, five years since the select committees report, and the DoI has still not implemented the recommendations.

’Now five years later the DoI have the audacity to want a further consultation on the matter, which is nothing short of an outrage.’