Media release 15 June

PSA welcomes spending
on quality public services

The PSA – New Zealand’s biggest public sector union – today welcomed the budget’s broad emphasis on a rebuilding of a stronger public service.
‘In particular we are pleased with the significant funding improvement for the rebuilding the quality of service offered by in Child Youth and Family Services,’ PSA national manager Richard Wagstaff said.
‘The allocation of $36 million next financial year increasing to $40 million is a necessary injection of capital into a service that has felt the brunt of nearly a decade of National party indifference and cost cutting.
‘The ramifications of that are all too evident in our society. This extra money and the inclusive and practical approach of this Government will see many of these systemic problems turned around,’ he said.
The PSA – which is also the main union covering mental health workers – also received the increased spending in this area with satisfaction.
‘We have been very vocal about the under funding in this area and mental health workers will be pleased to see this recognition of the importance of their work and some understanding of how hard it has been to maintain even basic quality services in recent years,’ Mr Wagstaff said.
‘There is a long way to go in restoring the values and beliefs of a vibrant public service but here today we can see the start of it and that has to be a positive,’ Mr Wagstaff said.

For more information and comment please call Richard Wagstaff on 025 2778131
or the PSA media officer Colin Williams on 04 917 2039 or 025 575 839

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