Opinion: One of our greatest assets

28/09/2020

One of our greatest assets (2020)

In this pre-election opinion piece for Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi Public Service Association, I argue that one of the greatest assets of Aotearoa is the trust people have in our public institutions and public servants. An ethical and impartial public service is fundamental to keeping that trust, but it is not enough on its own: public institutions also need to deliver, and be seen to deliver, reliable and consistent services to everyone. I welcome the focus all political parties are placing on institutions meeting the expectations of people and communities, while noting that parties on the centre-right and right also look to other sources of advice and delivery to implement their policies. I argue that the public service needs a real focus on the government’s priorities and must assure ministers that core business is delivered efficiently, effectively and equitably. Equally, the political machine needs to clarify its own priorities and make the necessary trade-offs, and ministers should not fear accountability but use it to drive what matters.

Read the article: https://www.psa.org.nz/our-voice/one-of-our-greatest-assets/

Reference
Te Kawa, D. (2020). One of our greatest assets. Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi Public Service Association. https://www.psa.org.nz/our-voice/one-of-our-greatest-assets/

ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0006-5129-5218

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