Time for the Public Service to be held more accountable: Council welcomes Government crackdown on the State Sector Act

The New Zealand Maori Council has welcomed a restructure of the public service with the Executive Director, Matthew Tukaki, calling this the first step towards greater engagement with Maori, Iwi and Hapu:

“The Council has been calling for reform of the State Services Act since before Christmas, including the need for more CEO’s and Heads of Agencies to be held accountable for their responsibilities under the Treaty. Last year we made it clear that having only a few Maori on the Boards of State Owned Enterprises was not a partnership mentality nor was the fact few Maori were in the executive ranks of the public service." Tukaki said

"What State Services Minister Chris Hipkins has announced, which is replacing the State Services Act, will ensure that these CEOs and boards are held more accountable because let face it – a single agency response to some of the big challenges that confront us do nothing to work to bring the barriers down between agencies. It takes a multi agency response to ensure that we really address some of the big challenges.” Tukaki said

The New Zealand Maori Council also made the same points to the Whanau Ora Review late last year: “Peeni Henare and other Ministers are right – barriers and silos have no place in the solving of problems facing our people – so now the real hard work begins and its up to organisations like the New Zealand Maori Council to continue to push for the accountability of the public service:

“I congratulate the Government! This is what we wanted – someone to bold and brave and to begin to push back against the public service – and this should benefit all New Zealanders, small business and more. This is the sort of work the Government is not afraid to take up and we are with them on this one 100%” Tukaki said

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