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Recipe for "s…-kickers" also recipe for "s…-government"

The New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union is alarmed with Shane Jones’ bizarre comments just published in a Stuff.co.nz interview that he would like to "soften that line" between governance and the bureaucracy and allow Ministers to appoint their own “s…-kickers” as top officials in the public sector, which is currently “not consistent with the State Services Act” (sic).

Reacting to interview, Jordan Williams, Executive Director of the Taxpayers’ Union, said:

“Shane Jones is suggesting we abandon our Westminster-style independent public service and adopt a currupt American-style political appointment model. It’s a recipe for unstable, crony, poor governance.”

“What is particularly concerning is that Mr Jones’ motivation appears to be his frustration with the constitutional and financial safeguards currently being imposed on some of his more crazy Provincial Growth Fund schemes. Thank God. Taxpayers need to know that basic due diligence is being done for what Mr Jones wants to turn into a unashamed political slush fund.”

“If Mr Jones wants to rip the heart out of our politically-neutral style of Government, the least he could do is it get the name of the State Sector Act right. It’s only a core part of New Zealand’s constitution.”

The interview with Stuff.co.nz’s Hamish Rutherford is available at: https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/103382755/nz-firsts-shane-jones-wants-ministers-to-have-more-power-over-public-sector
ENDS

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