PSA MEDIA RELEASE

Feb 10, 2011

For Immediate Use

Finance Minister’s attack on public servants shows lack of ideas and integrity

The Finance Minister’s attack on public servants yesterday shows a lack of respect for hard-working public sector employees, says the Public Service Association (PSA).

In an interview with 3News Bill English said the country cannot afford “waffly policy where people sit around talking about their good intentions.”

“The comments show a total lack of respect for the relationship that ought to exist between government and those who serve it,” says PSA National Secretary Brenda Pilott.

“It’s the job of public servants to give the government of the day free and frank advice.

“It seems Bill English wants to replace this with expensive, paid for advice from outside consultants that tell him what he wants to hear.

“In a speech to public servants a year-and-a-half ago Bill English spoke of how fortunate he was to be working with excellent public servants.

He said he “knew how much can be achieved when public servants know what's required and are allowed to get on and do it in an environment of respect and support.

He added that he also knew “that little gets done if they don't know what's required and there is no respect for their role or political support when policy inevitably comes under pressure.”

“If public servants have gone from being “excellent” to “wafflers” in the space of a year-and-a-half perhaps they’ve fallen prey to waffle from the Finance Minister himself!”

“Bill English’s attack is another example of the government using harmful clichés and falsehoods to justify wholesale job cuts. That will do nothing to solve the country’s real ills.

“Bill English should think carefully before holding up ‘’waffling’’ as a good reason for dismissal,” says Brenda Pilott.

ENDS

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