Treasury board represents fundamental challenge to neutral public service

The appointment of a Board to run the Treasury is a significant constitutional step and represents a continuation of National's policies to undermine our independent and neutral public service, Grant Robertson, Labour State Services Spokesperson and David Cunliffe, Labour Finance Spokesperson said.

"National's agenda to fundamentally change the nature of the public sector is clear. They have put in place hand picked purchase advisors, a plethora of politically appointed working groups on key policies, a review of policy advice led by former ACT candidate Graham Scott, and now a private governance board for a major agency such as Treasury," Grant Robertson said.

"The public has been told almost nothing about how the Board will operate. Today's media release naming the three private sector members of the Board suggests that they will "set Treasury's strategic direction". Surely that is the job of the Minister acting on behalf of all New Zealanders? David Cunliffe said.

"John Whitehead, the Treasury Chief Executive has said he will only veto the board in exceptional cases. It is outrageous that such a fundamental change should be made without proper prior public discussion and debate," David Cunliffe said.

"Mr Whitehead has said that the people appointed would be representative of the community. So where are the representatives of the community sector who see the real impacts of economic policy?

"Sadly this Board looks designed to lock in place the economic thinking of the current government. This is one of the dangers of this kind of approach," Grant Robertson said.

"A neutral public service is an important part of New Zealand's system of government. It ensures that New Zealanders know that their government is receiving the best advice possible, rather than what is politically acceptable to a particular government. Step by step, and largely under the radar, this government is undermining that system," said David Cunliffe

"This is a significant constitutional change, and the New Zealand public deserve to know exactly where National's privatisation of the public sector is going," David Cunliffe said.

ENDS

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