www.mccully.co.nz - 2 March 2007

A Weekly Report from the Keyboard of Murray McCully MP for East Coast Bays

Dr Bewildered Sucks the Kumara

Mystery surrounds the decision of the chief executive of the Department of Labour (DOL), Dr James Bewildered, to resign last week, over a year before his contract was due to expire in July 2008. Having presided over a disastrous period for the Labour Department, Dr Bewildered “wishes to move on to new challenges in the next phase of his working, personal and family life.”

The carefully worded press release from State Services Commissioner Mark Prebble states that he “respects James for the difficult decision that he has taken to resign before the completion of his term of appointment so that a new chief executive can lead the next stage of implementation of the department’s new business systems and strategy.” “I fully support this decision,” says Prebble. That’s right: “FULLY SUPPORT THIS DECISION”. So what can we make of that?

What we do know is that what was once one of the most respected agencies of state, the Labour Department, is now a pale shadow of its former self. Dr Bewildered has played a key role in its demise. Soon after his appointment, the “lie in unison” scandal broke in the Immigration Service (a unit within the DOL). Faced with cleaning up or covering up, Dr Bewildered launched an internal white-wash, rejecting calls (from the worldwide headquarters of mccully.co, no less) for a proper external enquiry. But he hadn’t reckoned on Ombudsman Mel Smith deciding to launch an own-motion investigation. The deceit and unprofessional conduct that Dr Bewildered had attempted to paper over was laid bare. Heads rolled.

Then followed a restructure of the Department, featuring such gems as the abolition of the Labour Market Policy Group – unrivalled in the public sector for their labour market policy expertise – but highly unpopular with the left wing trade unionists who dominate the Clark Ministry. The new structure and management team has, from all accounts, been less than a stellar success. And Dr Bewildered surprised commentators, who were convinced that the Immigration Service just couldn’t get any worse, by promptly presiding over a period in which they did precisely that. The Service that performs the important task of deciding who gets residence in this country is now a standing joke.

So what, we wonder, caused the good doctor to jump ship? A generous reward is offered for those able to furnish the appropriate information.

Brickbats and Bouquets

A large bouquet this week for Waiuku College student, Slade Butler, and a large brickbat for the principal of the same college, Stuart Harrison, the board of trustees, the Ministry of Education and anyone else involved on that side of the saga. The 16-year-old student, having been beaten by three fellow students on his way to school (including a wound from a bottle requiring stitches), took 200 of his colleagues with him when he left the school assembly, complaining that two of his attackers had been allowed back to school (and had made threatening gestures to him).

Media reports that the school intended to issue truancy notices to the students who walked out appear, fortunately, to have amounted to nothing. But get this from the local paper, the Waiuku News. The Principal, Mr Harrison, told the newspaper the students’ protest was based on a misunderstanding:

“The children don’t understand and have come up with simplistic solutions.”
“Throwing children out of school willy-nilly is not the best way to deal with it – only in the most critical cases.”

The suggestion we hear is that Mr Harrison may not be solely to blame. Politically correct bureaucrats in the Ministry of Education apparently ride shotgun on the nation’s principals. Those who suspend students are subjected to all manner of aggravation from officialdom.

Nevertheless, parents, it seems should take note. Someone who has been beaten with a bottle to the point of needing stitches should not expect the school to afford them protection by delivering at least a lengthy suspension to the culprits. That would be “simplistic.” And throwing children out of school is a step to be taken only in “the most critical cases.” Which clearly this was not. Because Slade Butler was only bashed with a bottle by three thugs. Presumably you have to be killed or maimed for it to become a critical case at in the eyes of today’s principals and bureaucrats.

Treaty Exhibition Underwhelms

New Zealanders are completely underwhelmed by the “Treaty 2U” exhibition – the taxpayer-funded travelling road show designed to force-feed New Zealanders with the Labour Party’s politically correct view of the Treaty of Waitangi – according to figures prised out of a reluctant Minister this week.

Associate Arts Minister Judith Tizard confirmed the mobile exhibition had visited 34 centres in 2006 over a period of four months. Assisted by some estimates (because the counter didn’t work) Tizard claims 42,227 people have attended the exhibition in the 39 centres it has visited over the last four months of 2006 and the first 17 days of this year.

So, having carted the exhibition around the highest traffic areas of New Zealand they can find, and promoting the only FREE event in town, a mere 300 people a day on average can even be coaxed into poking their heads in the door. The figures are bolstered by a Wellington attendance of 3,950 – no doubt the result of public servants being required to undergo a little Treaty education during work hours.

Primary funding of Treaty 2U comes from the State Services Commission, which last year committed $730,000 to the project, and will up that to $750,000 this year. Outfits like the National Library and the National Archives also kicked in some cash last year (for them a dubious investment indeed) but say they won’t be funders this year. On the basis of current figures the exhibition appears to cost taxpayers around $25 per visitor.

So keep those taxes rolling in ladies and gentlemen. Your Government has decided that you need educating. And it isn’t going to be cheap.

ENDS

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