PSA members must question misuse of fees

Wednesday, 15 June 2005,

Gerry Brownlee MP National Party Deputy Leader

15 June 2005

PSA members must question misuse of fees

"The PSA has stooped to new lows with the overtly political stance being taken in the lead-up to the election," says National Party Deputy Leader Gerry Brownlee.

He says public servants should be asking serious questions of their PSA reps after misleading and inflammatory comments about National Party policy appeared in a paid advertising feature published in today's Dominion Post newspaper.

"The public service is supposed to be neutral. Clearly the union is not. I do now hope PSA members hold their leadership to account for this gross misuse of union fees.

"Surely the union would have been better served spending members' union fees fighting on behalf of those that Labour has hung out to dry because Ministers refuse to take responsibility. Instead they have wasted fees on Labour propaganda.

"The PSA has been prepared to sacrifice public servants, all because Labour has been encouraging people to join by offering them bonuses.

"This is yet more evidence of the 'machine' that John Tamihere says is being driven from the ninth floor of the Beehive.

"During its six-year hiring binge, Labour has been stacking the public service with cronies - everyone knows that.

"Even the now State Services boss Mark Prebble was forced to admit he held back damaging Corngate documents in the lead-up to the last election.

"National makes no apologies for its proposals to tackle the bureaucracy and identify waste. Now PSA members would be justified in asking whether this is an appropriate use of their fees," says Mr Brownlee.

ENDS

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