6. GRANT ROBERTSON (Labour—Wellington Central) Link to this
to the Minister of State Services
Is it Government policy to cap, but not cut, the core Public Service?
Hon TONY RYALL (Minister of Health) Link to this
No. It is Government policy to cap core Government administration.
How does the Minister reconcile that answer with the statement John Key made to the Public Service Association before the election that public services would be capped, but not cut, by National; and will he be taking the Prime Minister aside to give him a bollocking for that statement?
Why is it acceptable for Ministers to hire 36 people being paid more than $100,000 to work in their offices, and to force departments to pay the cost of highly paid consultants who work directly for Ministers, when the rest of the Public Service is being cut; or is it a case of one law for Ministers and one law for everybody else?
It is certainly my understanding that the National Government, by way of example, is employing fewer press secretaries than the previous Labour Government did.
Jacqui DeanOur priority is to grow front-line services that directly benefit New Zealanders. This will, over time, restore a better balance between the number of people working in core Government administration and the numbers working on the front line to support New Zealanders.
Why did the Minister say on 26 March that a cap does not represent a cut to the Public Service, when National has overseen nearly a thousand proposed job cuts in the Public Service, with more to come; or is there no low that the Minister will go to when it comes to the number of public servants?
In the current economic environment it is entirely reasonable to expect that State services resources will move to the front line. Chief executives are making these decisions because they are realigning their organisations to the new Government’s priorities around improved front-line services, and because, like most organisations in New Zealand, they are working towards living within their means.
Grant Robertson: I seek leave of the House to table a speech given by John Key to the Public Service Association congress last year, on 24 September, in which he promises to cap but not cut public services.
Mr SPEAKER