12 November 2001

Prime Minister Helen Clark announced today the appointment of Michael Wintringham as State Services Commissioner for a further term of two years from May 2002, and the appointment of Tony Hartevelt as Deputy State Services Commissioner for a five-year term.

“I invited Mr Wintringham to continue in the office for a further term to complete the changes in the State Services Commission he has been leading.

“He is a highly experienced and very able public servant who was first appointed State Services Commissioner in 1997.

“Mr Wintringham has provided significant leadership in the rebuilding of the public service values and standards.

“Over the next two years Mr Wintringham will complete a number of major projects, including the e-government programme and public service senior management development.

“It is important, particularly as we head into an election year, that the public service is led by a person who understands the delicate balance between being responsive to the requirements of the government of the day, and guarding the political neutrality of the public service. I am therefore very pleased that Mr Wintringham agreed to the further two-year term.

“As Deputy State Services Commissioner Tony Hartevelt plays an important supporting role to the State Services Commissioner. Mr Hartevelt’s work experience within the wider state and private sectors complements Mr Wintringham’s mainly public service background.

“Mr Hartevelt’s career has included financial and general management experience in the private sector, and over 14 years of consulting for Pricewaterhouse Coopers Ltd,” Helen Clark said.

Ends

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Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

Yet now with (a) President Barack Obama weighing in on the side of artistic freedom and calling for the US to make a ‘proportionate response’quickly followed by (b) North Korea’s entire Internet service going down, and with both these events being followed by (c) Sony deciding to backtrack and release The Interview film that had made it a target for the dastardly North Koreans in the first place, then ay caramba…the whole world will now be watching how this affair pans out. More>>