The National led government released its latest public service staff statistics yesterday. They show that they have overseen almost 2,400 Kiwis losing their jobs since 2008. That is thousands of families with people who make the money to put food on the table out of work. Things really are starting to follow the 1990s pattern- the gutting of the public sector, followed by the decline in services and confidence from the public, followed by the hiring of consultants and contractors to fill the gaps…
The figures announced today do not cover the full impact most recent jobs losses announced for DOC and the IRD. In both cases its not the people I look after in Wellington Central bearing the brunt, it is the provinces. Wanganui, Rotorua, Napier, Invercargill, Nelson, New Plymouth. Did someone say “frontline services”.
Two stories related to this came my way today. The first from the Daily News in New Plymouth who quoted one of the staff saying that they had been warned that if they talked publicly about the job losses they would go even quicker.
“They told us there was to be absolutely no discussion of anything to the media. If anyone spoke to the media it could be a code of conduct issue,” an employee told the Taranaki Daily News on condition of anonymity. Penalties for breaching the code of conduct could include being sacked, they said.
The worker also said something that will be familiar to many in the public service. He said “morale was in tatters”. It is, in almost every government agency I speak to- and the end result of that is poorer services for us all.
Meanwhile over in Whanganui they are facing the effect of the cuts to the Department of Conservation, the latest in a line of cuts including to NZTA, child advocacy services and the baliffs. I got a note passed on to me from a local teacher who said
I feel awful today as I hear from children I teach that their their families will be shifting out of Wanganui because of the cutbacks and the gutting of the local DOC office.which once served the region from Taranaki to the Manawatu and over the Ruahines. Going are the scientists, an engineer, cartographers and other skilled workers whose children have been really special to teach.
This is one aspect of the abandoning of provinicial New Zealand, the breakdown of communities. Another is the loss of health services in places like Temuka and Rangiora. John Pagani has written a good blog on another aspect of it. The absence of any real focused regional development from this government that will give people a sense that there are jobs and a future for them and their town. I think we owe these towns that have been the backbone of our country some support and some hope.
National are a gang of underhand bullies. Everything they do is punitive. Their only plan is for the plunder of NZ’s resources and the population is treated like a hindrance to their aims.
Watch the provinces flock to Labour this election!
“….who quoted one of the staff saying that they had been warned that if they talked publicly about the job losses they would go even quicker.”
What? If that is so it would be a serious breech of freedom of speech but ominous if it is the Government’s wish that it not be discussed.
SARCASM “Who cares – they’re all back office bums, who throw paper darts at each other and spend half of their day on Facebook.
Get them out into the real world breaking rocks, that’ll teach em to rip off us hard working, god fearing, tax dodging taxpayer.
Its not as if those who have got where they are through hard work and study totally on their own, either if they started out poor as mud, or simply received their own trust fund, and who actually pay the tax, need their services anyhow, just those bums who survive off government transfers.
Oh, and don’t forget the Ayn Rand seminar next week in Mogadishu. Don’t worry, there’ll be heaps of guns to provide security”. /SARCASM
“they had been warned that if they talked publicly about the job losses they would go even quicker.” Agreed Ianmac it’s bleepin awful!
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@Policy Parrot – Cool!
A sarcastic parrot! 
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I’m shamed, by what the government is doing in rural new zealand.
I’m a New Zealander living in Sydney, who is now out of work with no social services support.
Saying that I care for my wife who has a mental illness. There is limited support for her.
I am at a crossroads, do we come home and live in rural NZ, since the property is cheaper there, and there is less need to work, in a traditional sense to makes ends meet.
Lets face it while life buzzes in big cities, the quality of life is not great. But there are significant support services.
In Australia, there is a small town called Junee: pop 4500 (2011). They have all the services you would expect in a functioning town. A medical hospital, handling A&E, and old people services. Not large enough to have a mental health wing though for that beds are available 40km away in Wagga Wagga.
Point is if its good enough for Australia, its good enough for NZ. Taihape is the biggest town for miles.
It should, no it MUST have all the necessary services, that support life. Basic services like a functioning hospital, and fire and police stations.
Unfortunately DHB’s must make a profit. This is not about profits, its about providing the right level of care for every man, women and child in NZ, no matter where they live.
This is not just a problem in Taihape, is a problem across regional NZ.
Same issue exists in Huntly (closed 1997), Dannevirke (public hospital closed – replaced with a community hospital).
Really though – if the New Zealanders working/living in Australia (750,000) can be coxed back home, to live and work in regional NZ, New Zealand will have all the resources its needs to support everyone.