1 May 2007

Public service an honourable vocation

Speaking to the MAF Annual Policy Conference today, Agriculture Minister Jim Anderton said, "If there was one thing I would like to do if I could, it would be to inspire you as public servants about the value and contribution of your role. Public service is an honourable vocation."

Referring to the 1980s and 1990s, he said it was a time when the role of public servants was often disparaged. "New Zealanders were told that everything would be better if services were provided by the private sector. When we tried that, we often found it didn’t automatically make services better. In some cases, New Zealand lost the services of a generation of policy advisers. Too late it was realised they had skills and experience we needed."

Jim Anderton talked about what he views as the guiding principle for public servants. "What will improve the well-being of New Zealanders?" He said the intellectual challenge for policy advisors to the government is to be capable of developing clear policy alternatives and ouotlining the likely costs and consequences of various courses.

"Ministers appreciate having options placed in front of them. It’s OK to put up options that do not coincide with the government’s views. Of course, among the options presented should be one that does reflect the government’s policy preference," he said. "These days, sensitivity to Ministers’ views is more complex than in the past. In a coalition government, dependent on various parliamentary support agreements, the environment can be full of nuance. Smaller parties don’t enjoy being lumped in with their larger partners. Therefore, Ministers appreciate seeing options developed that reflect the policy views of all parties. This is an evolving area of public policy."

Jim Anderton also referred to the costs of government policy. "Costs are not merely the numbers appearing in government books. They are also the impacts on the everyday lives of New Zealanders, the effect on the environment, the effect on social cohesion, and the consequences for sought-after outcomes. Good policy starts with thoughtfulness about the well-being of New Zealanders," he concluded.

ENDS

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