Te Kawa Mataaho Public Service Commission is proposing to shed 24 roles undermining its ability to lead an efficient and diverse public service, fit to face the country’s challenges.

The Commission proposes cuts across the organisation, including areas focused on diversity and inclusion, IT, communication and its leadership team.

It has been directed to shave spending by 7.5%, proposing to disestablish 24 roles, and will offer voluntary redundancy to some staff.

"If the Government’s priority is to develop a more effective public service, why gut the very agency that plays such a critical role in leading and co-ordinating our public service?" said Kerry Davies, National Secretary for National Secretary for the Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi.

"Te Kawa Mataaho monitors and promotes a public service that reflects the diversity of New Zealand, so it can better deliver to the needs of all New Zealanders.

"It’s critical that public service workers reflect the community they serve, so cuts to this work will make this harder.

"None of this makes sense, especially coming hard on the heels of the plan to disestablish the Pay Equity Taskforce in the Commission."

The Commission is also nearly halving its senior leadership team.

"The loss of experienced leadership roles is a bad move, these people support the rest of the public service to be more efficient and co-ordinated, who will pick up this role now?

"These changes are just more mixed messages from the Government which is choosing to gut the public service to pay for tax cuts. The end result of all this will be a public service unable to deliver the quality public services New Zealanders need and expect."

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