The Government has unveiled a sweeping overhaul of New Zealand’s public service, promising to reduce the number of government agencies, expand the use of artificial intelligence, and cut billions in spending over the next four years.
Finance Minister Nicola Willis and Public Service and Digitising Government Minister Paul Goldsmith said the reforms are designed to improve efficiency, modernise government operations and redirect savings into frontline services.
Willis said the Government wanted to end what she described as outdated and inefficient bureaucracy within parts of the public sector.
“Businesses and households are using AI every day and, while parts of the public sector have seized the opportunity to innovate, others are still locked into outdated ways of doing things that prioritise box-ticking over outcomes,” she said.
Under the plan, the Government will impose tighter operating budgets on agencies while pursuing three key goals: reducing the number of public sector agencies and entities, digitising both customer-facing and back-office functions, and lowering overall public service staffing levels.
The Government estimates the programme will save $2.4 billion over four years, with the money redirected into healthcare, education, infrastructure, defence and policing.
Willis said many New Zealanders were frustrated by fragmented systems and duplication across government departments.
“A more connected and digitally enabled public service will improve services, reduce duplication, and deliver better value for taxpayers,” she said.
Goldsmith said the size of the public service had expanded rapidly in recent years, growing from around 47,000 employees in 2017 to more than 65,000 by 2023.
“Some of that growth was necessary during the Covid pandemic, but over the long-term New Zealand cannot sustain administrative growth outpacing the productive economy,” he said.
The Government plans to reduce core public service staffing levels back to what it describes as “historic norms” by mid-2029, targeting approximately 55,000 public servants — roughly 1 per cent of the population.
Goldsmith said the reductions would occur gradually through digitisation, agency mergers, streamlined systems and natural attrition rather than large-scale immediate redundancies.
The ministers stressed the changes would apply only to the core public service and would not affect teachers, doctors, nurses, police officers, defence personnel or other Health New Zealand frontline staff.
“This is about ensuring the public service is modern, focused, productive and financially sustainable over the long-term, with a core focus on frontline delivery,” Goldsmith said.
The Government said agencies would be regularly monitored and expected to demonstrate measurable improvements in productivity, service delivery and value for money.
Image credit: Koon Chakhatrakan
Get rid of those bureaucrats they are total lefty leaches making up legislation justifying there unproductive jobs, their legislation chokes society.
Unshackle us from these control freaks.
Let business thrive.
Oooooooh sh*t says the cuntselor
The diarrhea will be the slop for the ‘accomplices’.
We need to build more asylums.
Still too tame. Really target savings of at least double that number. Make us the most efficient govt in the world and force them to shrink to try government business not trying to install some totalitarian regime in our lives
Whats happened in the past is people are laid off as full time employees and re-hired as contractors, at a much higher hourly rate. I heard this from a Project Manager I knew and its been confirmed since by others I know who have or still, work for govt. I’ll wager this is another smoke and mirrors exercise, with actual savings that are never realised and will be long forgotten by the time they were supposed to arrive, anyway.
That is to say, just another election year stunt to appear fiscally responsible, when the “books” tell a story of waste, incompetence and rampant borrowing.
Under the plan, the Government will impose tighter operating budgets on agencies while pursuing three key goals: reducing the number of public sector agencies and entities, digitising both customer-facing and back-office functions, and lowering overall public service staffing levels.
FOOLS!
AI + PALANTIR + Digital ID ANYONE??? Oh – too late – already in place with all your health /medical records and soon to be completed banking details
Down the world bank, IMF BIS DIGITAL ID colon – just look at the recently appointed NZ reserve bank WEF /
BIS puppet
Yes the same BIS USURY SPECIALIST THAT STOLE AND LAUNDERED GOLD BEFORE AND DURING WW2 AND CONTINUES TO THIS DAY.
Nothing like a bit of usury to dig a hole for you.
The only thing that BIS (CONTROLLED BY BILDERBERG) has proven is that all the kings horses and all the kings men did a remarkable job
Germany in the 30’s and Iran Now, and Libya under Gaddafi – they had / have their own central banks and are not under the control of usury freaks – that is why the wars continue – financed by – guess who?
You fools!
Dont believe it?
Just look at Europe, UK Scotland ,Wales, Australia Canada Germany in fact all throughout Europe.
Now go and have some more fluoride poisoned water so you can become even more docile and compliant
And those who are feeling well, no symptoms of anything – obviously have hanta virus or perhaps ebola.
In fact anyone who has been anywhere near the beehive (or should it be better described as the rats nest) must have hanta by now.
TO THOSE WHO DO NOT UNDERSTAND – you have not been paying attention and obviously listened to “no one was forced to take the poison – oops vaccine, and be poisoned by pfizer” dripkins — who does not even know what a woman is.
Mussolini protocol for all of them and quick before the indian invasion and the extinction of white faces in NZ
as per the UN plan from1947 – open borders, single currency and universal ID, removal of the primarily Christian white faces.