PSA launches postcard to mark Quality Public Services Day

The Public Service Association (PSA) today launched a new postcard to mark international Quality Public Services Day telling voters that the election campaign has come down to a simple choice between public services and tax cuts.

Public Services International, the umbrella organisation for public sector unions across the world, has designated tomorrow (Saturday, 10 September 2005) as Quality Public Services Day. The right to quality public services was recently identified as a key strand in the Global Call to Action Against Poverty, organisers of the ‘Make Poverty History’ campaign.

PSA National Secretary Brenda Pilott said the postcards would be distributed at tomorrow’s Wellington-Bay of Plenty NPC game in the capital, the Arts Centre Market in Christchurch and at other locations across the country.

“Public services keep New Zealand going.

“As our new postcard states public servants are active in every local community working as nurses, work brokers, prison officers, scientists, fishery inspectors, broadcasters, librarians, road engineers, export advisors, teachers, ACC case managers, building inspectors, conservation rangers, probation officers, social workers, occupational therapists, meat inspectors, home carers, customs officers, civil defence staff . . . and many other occupations.

“Tax has emerged as a key election issue, with the National Party promising to pay for lower tax rates by slashing public services. Our postcard reminds voters that any benefit from the small tax cuts they would receive would quickly be wiped out by the services National will have to cut.

“It’s time to stop bagging public servants as Wellington-bound bureaucrats, because the vast majority actually work and live across the country in every community delivering essential public services.

“Tomorrow on Quality Public Services Day we are also reminding voters that New Zealand’s public service is lean and efficient, smaller than in most other developed nations and employs less staff than a decade ago.

“We say any sensible government would want to keep improving the public services we all use, not slash them to fund tax cuts,” Brenda Pilott said.

ENDS

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