"If Social Services Minister Steve Maharey was 'surprised' about Helen Clark's plan to amalgamate the social services departments, and the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet hasn't got any documents on it, then who is in charge of orchestrating the change?

"The answer lies with Prime Minister's right-hand woman Heather Simpson. She is the one apparently writing a paper on the prospect of merging the three departments," National's Social Services spokesperson Bob Simcock said today.

"Judge Mick Brown has already blamed repeated restructures for many of CYFS problems, yet now we're seeing the Prime Minister unilaterally proposing a massive reconfiguration within the sector.

"There's been no official advice, no policy put forward, no papers taken to Cabinet yet the Prime Minister has taken it upon herself to unleash Heather Simpson to decide the fate of our social services departments.

"The future of these departments is too important for Helen (or Heather) to decide on a whim," Bob Simcock said.

Ends

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