Investment in public services critical

Extra funding and resources announced in the budget for public services are welcome and come at a critical time for some agencies, PSA national secretary Richard Wagstaff said today.

“PSA is pleased to hear the announcement of more money for agencies such as the Ministry of Social Development and the Community Probation Service within which many of our members have been struggling with high caseloads, inadequate resources, and insufficient training. It is also pleasing to note increases to public broadcasting, the addition of 120 more Customs officers, and increases in health.”

Richard Wagstaff said continuing investment in New Zealand’s public services was essential to make up for ground lost during the 1990s when public services were under-resourced and run down to meet ideologically driven imperatives, not the needs of the New Zealand economy and society.

“The Government, through its Review of the Centre, has been active in identifying the serious issues facing our state sector system and now it is taking action to try and remedy them. There is, however, still a way to go as there remain genuine capacity and capability issues in some organisations.”

Richard Wagstaff said PSA was pleased to be involved in the ongoing review and change management of public services and believed the union’s partnership relationship with the Government was delivering.

“Our public service performs an extremely important role in New Zealand in the social, cultural, economic, and environmental spheres. It is therefore important that the people who work in it have sufficient resources, funding, and training to carry out their jobs successfully and that our public service is seen as an attractive career option. Quality public services benefits everyone.”

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