Archives And Library Merger Does Not Stack Up

The Government's proposal to merge Archives New Zealand and the National Library into the Department of Internal Affairs could save as little as $165,000 a year, while seeing more than a dozen jobs go, and risking compromising key components of our democratic infrastructure, Grant Robertson Labour State Services Spokesperson said.

" The Cabinet paper put forward to justify the changes shows that the transition cost of merging Archives and the National Library into the Department of Internal Affairs is $2.5million, but the savings to be made could be as little as $3 million over three years. This translates to savings of as little as $165,000 a year out of budgets representing tens of millions of dollars.' Grant Robertson said.

“On purely financial grounds these mergers just do not stack up. In addition the disruption and upheaval caused by jobs losses and reduction in productivity will cost even more."

“The Cabinet paper actually says that Archives New Zealand and the National Library are "well regarded and successful institutions". It defies belief that the government would disrupt the work of such agencies for savings less than the salary of a Cabinet Minister."

" Mr Ryall's paper states that there needs to be a measure of agreement among Chief Executives for mergers to work. Yet the paper also states that the Chief Executive of the National Library is opposed to the merger into DIA. The lack of consultation on this proposal is shameful. Staff at both institutions have been caught unawares, and the communities who use the services have not had a say.

“The government's priorities in this area have to be questioned. Last year budget cuts at the National Library saw School Library Service advisors in the provincial areas cut. These are people providing frontline services who have been taken out by the government. Now the independence of both the Library and Archives is at risk by being subsumed into a large bureaucracy."

“Many people remember how the work of Archives New Zealand was undermined and undervalued by being part of DIA in the 1990s. The work of Archives New Zealand is critical to our democracy. Fundamentally it is about the accountability of government to its people. Many Treaty of Waitangi claims would not have been possible without the resources housed there. It is essential that its work is supported and independence maintained.

“The government needs to re-consider this merger, and go back to the community to get an understanding of just what is at risk." Grant Robertson said.

Link to Cabinet Paper http://www.ssc.govt.nz/display/document.asp?DocID=7595

ENDS

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