Sanctus – After nearly eleven months without a Director, the Sanctarian Intelligence Service will soon be back to business as normal after new Minister for International Security Marc Foster today announced that Ombudsman Alexandra Maye was the government’s choice to take helm of the nation’s primary intelligence agency. Foster confirmed that his superior, Secretary for Foreign Affairs Yasminé Pontif, sought official approval of the nominee at last week’s cabinet meeting.
The choice of Ombudsman Maye as Director of the SIS is a clear signal from Sanctarian Conservative Party government that the previous system of a career intelligence officer being appointed Director is no longer suitable; Alexandra Maye is widely considered to be more of an administrator than agenda-driven, with some sources within government calling her a “true red-tape loving bureaucrat, pencil pusher, and a notorious bean counter”. Maye was appointed Ombudsman back in 2005 after serving a five year stint as Director-General of the Revenue Service. Prior to this Maye had worked in the civil service at various grades in the Department of Finance. She is a qualified accountant.
Speaking after Foster’s announcement Maye said that she was “honoured to be chosen for such an important post” and that “while it will be difficult to leave the Office of Ombudsman, I know that working in the Sanctarian Intelligence Service means I’ll be helping keep Sanctaria, her borders, and her people safe, and that’s paramount”.
Maye’s tenure as Ombudsman has been lauded by all sides of the political spectrum with both government and opposition figures commenting that she held back no punches in her dealings and investigations of complaints by the public about actions of public bodies. The transition from holding an office that is responsible for transparency in government workings and holding public bodies to account to someone in charge of a clandestine and historically sinister government agency has not gone unnoticed by some; Independent Senator for Haven June Warren, who chairs the Senate sub-committee responsible for the SIS, this afternoon commented that “although I don’t doubt Ombudsman Maye’s ability, this does herald a marked departure from her usual portfolio”.
Although not a Senate-confirmable position, Senator Warren has indicated she’ll be asking Secretary Pontif to allow the Senate Sub-Committee on International Security informally interview Ombudsman Maye in in camera proceedings. Warren also said that if this was request was not granted that she would summon both Secretary Pontif and junior Minister Foster before the committee instead to “sound them out and see why they chose Maye for the job”.
BRIAN DeNOBLE, Defence & Security Correspondent
