National continuing to politicise the public service

Parliament's ability to hold the public service accountable for its effectiveness is being sabotaged by the new National Government, Labour's Internal Affairs spokesperson Chris Hipkins says.

"National has shattered the political consensus that has seen public service chief executives responsible for the day to day operation of their departments without political interference from Ministers for over two decades," Chris Hipkins said.

“Yesterday, at a Select Committee hearing State Services Minister Tony Ryall whose department has the responsibility of managing the performance of public service Chief Executives, failed to reassure MPs that political neutrality was being maintained despite ministerial minders and purchase advisors being appointed to departments.

"We have the bizarre situation where the Minister of Immigration Jonathan Coleman has directly employed what will effectively be a second head for the Immigration Service.

"Unlike the existing Chief Executive, who reports to the State Services Commissioner, Mr Coleman's handpicked minder will report directly to the Minister.

"How can Parliament hold the Chief Executive to account for the performance of his department when the Minister has effectively usurped his role?

Mr Hipkins said he was particularly concerned that the State Services Commission seemed to be turning a blind eye to the way the National Government is riding roughshod over the legislative framework for the operation of government departments.

"The State Services Commissioner has declined to investigate the employment of Bill English's hand-picked purchase advisors stating he expects departments to follow their own procurement policies in engaging them.

"Yet the Auditor General has found that the department's procurement policies haven't been followed but he doesn't seem to think that it's a problem.

"The principles of political neutrality and chief executive accountability established in the State Sector Act and the Public Finance Act are all but dead and buried.

"It's tragic that the two arms of government tasked with protecting them, the State Services Commissioner and the Auditor General, don't seem to be interested in doing so," Mr Hipkins said.

ENDS

© Scoop Media