Public service

On my first day as prime minister, I would honestly address New Zealand’s decline, prioritise government reform over new initiatives, and focus on accountability and effective leadership in departments.

MBIE and Treasury’s diversity plans emphasize merit-based approaches, reflecting a shift from prior inclusion requirements, yet their strategies appear largely repetitive and self-focused.

New Zealand’s government faces accountability issues, as a failed IT project exposes bureaucratic disconnection and mismanagement.

In 2026, New Zealand’s coalition government faced obstacles implementing promised reforms, as bureaucratic resistance led to diluted policies on medicine regulation, planning law, and the Reserve Bank’s powers, highlighting challenges in governmental effectiveness.

The New Zealand public service faces structural issues necessitating reform, as highlighted by a recent report arguing for ministerial appointment of chief executives despite opposing critiques.

New Zealand’s governance structure limits ministerial authority, making chief executives accountable to a commissioner instead. This system demands reforms, allowing ministers to appoint leaders for improved accountability and effectiveness.

New Zealand’s government system, where chief executives are appointed by an independent commissioner without ministerial input, hinders effective governance and lacks accountability, unlike practices in other democracies.

New Zealand’s ministers lack control over departments, so my report suggests reforms to improve accountability by allowing ministerial appointments of chief executives, learning from OECD counterparts like Germany and Australia.