Beyond Westminster? 2021 Edition Hineraumati

04/10/2021

A year ago, I posited that Aotearoa’s Westminster-derived governance model showed signs of systemic strain. The identified pressure points were numerous and significant: the transition to mixed-member-proportional representation, the expanded use of associate ministers and parliamentary undersecretaries, the integration of non-government ministers into the Cabinet, the frequent threats to cabinet solidarity by coalition partners, inadequate regulatory impact statements, opaque performance reporting, an increasingly politicised public service, and the growing influence of policy networks.

The past year has provided compelling evidence reinforcing these concerns. Despite Labour’s achievement of majority government status, our democratic institutions continue to show signs of stress. While the main opposition has struggled with internal discord and failed to effectively scrutinise ministerial performance, some minor opposition parties have been remarkably effective at scrutiny, although that has not been enough to offset the trends that follow.

However, several troubling trends have intensified. The Executive’s performance reporting remains inadequate, severely hampering Parliament’s ability to scrutinise the Executive. More concerning is the apparent erosion of non-partisan public service independence. Policy development has largely moved from traditional public service channels to external working groups and consultancies (including my own involvement). This shift changes how public policy is shaped and implemented, and it is not only a change in process.

Particularly worrying is the ascendancy of business case methodologies over robust public policy analysis. This trend suggests a concerning prioritisation of commercial considerations over public value creation. The overall situation in the machinery of government (te poneketanga) appears increasingly misaligned with traditional public service principles. Consequently, I have revised my assessment of institutional health from light green to orange, because conditions have deteriorated.

Nau mai haere mai Hine Raumati. He iti tangata e tupu, he iti toki e iti tonu.