CYF chief can't serve two masters

National Party Welfare spokeswoman Katherine Rich says the chief social worker has a big enough job without moonlighting in a Government Minister's Office.

"New Zealand's young face so many challenges that they need a chief social worker who's going to devote their full-time attention to one of the hardest jobs in the public service," says Mrs Rich.

Chief social worker Shannon Pakura, who earns more than $100,000 a year in that job, last week took up a part-time position as a private secretary in the office of Associate Minister of Maori Affairs Tariana Turia.

"This situation is at best bizarre, at worst totally inappropriate.

"This is a job that could easily be done by someone else," says Mrs Rich.

"Tariana Turia doesn't even have any clearly stated responsibilities for CYF - Ruth Dyson is the Minister.

"The chief social worker can not serve two masters, the Minister is clearly guilty of cherry-picking the jewel in CYF's crown.

"With children dying in CYF care and more than 2600 unallocated cases on the agency's books, Tariana Turia should give Shannon Pakura back to the children of New Zealand. "The work she does there is just too important," Mrs Rich says. "CYF is facing one of the biggest ever problems in the recruitment and retention of staff, and this new role, even on a part-time basis, is something even Wonder Woman could not do," Mrs Rich says.

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