A draft ministerial report into the Department of Work and Income strongly criticising the Department has been replaced
by a much weaker final document after consultation with WINZ boss Christine Rankin.
The draft leaked to media yesterday criticised the corporate, autocratic “we know best how to do things” style of
management of the department.
Without naming Christine Rankin directly it also made 10 recommendations including several specific Ms Rankin’s position
as chief executive.
But under departmental procedure, Ms Rankin and ministers were given the chance to re-write the content- leading to
drastic changes to the final document.
The final report leaked yesterday evening contains none of the 10 earlier recommendations and switches an earlier
reference of "authoritarianism" to "strong direction".
The rationale for the change: "because the first set of decisions needed to deal with the problems described in this
review will be political ones, for ministers alone to take."
The two reports were released by former Minister of Social Services Roger Sowry last night after the first draft was
leaked anonymously earlier in the day.
Mr Sowry said the initial draft was leaked by the Government who were unhappy with the watered down version of the final
report and preferred the earlier harsher version.