MEDIACOM-RELEASE-PSA
HOLLAND'S DEPARTURE NO GUARANTEE OF CHANGE - PSA

The PSA, the union representing New Zealand's tax workers, today said the departure of the IRD Commissioner Graham Holland would be `no automatic panacea' for the organisation.

PSA national secretary Paul Cochrane said those wanting a better quality tax service - including IRD staff - must realise the importance of getting the findings of this year's tax inquiry in place soon.

`We were, by and large, satisfied with the inquiry's findings and the call for a change in the work culture which, as was explicitly stated, must come from the top.

`In that sense Mr Holland's announcement will hopefully serve as a circuit breaker for change but there can be no comfort this will automatically happen,' he said.

The inquiry was detailed on what was needed in IRD, he said. `There were recommendations on improving and increasing staff training and there was criticism of the downgrading of the department with job cuts, office closures and a loss of one on one services for taxpayers.

`Detailed work has been done in examining the problems and now we need to be moving to fix things. I am confident this will happen because Labour was explicit in its support of the inquiry's findings,' he said.

`We want the best for our members who have had a pretty hard time in the last year or so. We are working to get a job contract for those people which involves them in a workplace partnership aimed at getting a better quality service with more satisfying jobs, skills development and career structures,' Mr Cochrane said.

ENDS....

MEDIA RELEASE FROM THE PSA