11. GRANT ROBERTSON (Labour—Wellington Central) Link to this
to the Minister of State Services
Did any of the 1,480 public sector positions cut last year provide front-line services; if so, how many?
Hon TONY RYALL (Minister of State Services) Link to this
The Government bases its cap on core Government administration on the predominant nature of the departments, and not on whether individual staff members are predominantly administrative or front-line. Some departments in the cap have some front-line roles, and some departments outside the cap include some administrative roles. Therefore, some of those 1,480 net positions cut will have come from departments inside the cap that may also have some front-line services.
So is the Minister saying that some front-line staff positions have been cut? Does he therefore consider it a good thing that some of the positions cut include border security staff, regional conservation staff, child abuse prevention staff, and the people who run the school library service?
In respect of the issue of MAF Biosecurity officers—the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry is within the cap—a number of those biosecurity officers no longer have work because of a significant downturn in the number of used Japanese motor vehicle imports into New Zealand. Therefore, fewer biosecurity officers were needed and the headcount was reduced, with no drop in service.
Does the Minister accept that reducing so-called back-office staff in agencies like Child, Youth and Family actually means that social workers will spend less time with families in need, and that this will lead to poorer services for all New Zealanders?
I am advised that the reduction in positions at Child, Youth and Family was the result of restructuring last year to streamline the administrative functions, and that the social workers there are working very well to provide good quality services for New Zealanders. The Minister for Social Development and Employment tells me that social workers are spending more time working with their clients.
Jacqui DeanI have seen a number of very interesting reports. I have seen a report from the Public Service Association national secretary, Mrs Brenda Pilott, that describes the cap on public service numbers as a farce. I also saw a report from Mr Goff, saying last night on television that he thinks Labour would probably have capped public service numbers as well. This tell us that New Zealanders have a Government that recognises the tight economic circumstances of the country we are in, and that we are moving resources to support improved front-line services.
Is the news reported on Radio New Zealand this morning that the Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) office in Blenheim is to be replaced by a drop-box an indication of the kind of front-line services we can expect from this Government; if so, can we expect a tape-recorder to replace social workers, or a cardboard cut-out to staff our borders?
I am fortunate to be advised by the Minister for ACC that the premise of the member’s question is completely wrong.
I seek leave to table a transcript from Morning Report this morning that states that the ACC office in Blenheim—
Mr SPEAKERThe member will not use that mechanism. He knows that he cannot seek leave to table a transcript of a recent common radio report.
Is the Minister telling the House that Blenheim physiotherapist John Chamberlain was incorrect when he said that the eight-person ACC office in Blenheim will be replaced by a drop-box—a situation that he said was completely unsatisfactory?
I have the fortune of being advised by the Minister for ACC himself that there is no plan of the sort described by that member opposite.
Does the Minister think that his approach to cutting front-line services, and the less than transparent process around State sector reform and the mining of the conservation estate, might have contributed to some public servants blowing the whistle on his Government’s activities? Would he not be better off focusing on making Government more transparent rather than undertaking a witch-hunt in the public sector?
I must say that a question on transparency in Government, coming from the party opposite, is very rich. The fact is that the National Government has inherited a very difficult economic situation, whereby that party opposite when in Government increased the size of the Public Service by 50 percent over a 9-year period. This Government has put a cap on the number of core Government administrators, which has allowed us to move resources to improve front-line services.