Tech job botch a black mark for Govt

There can be no doubt the Derek Handley saga is a train wreck threatening to derail confidence in the Government. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern may have been hoping she could leave the domestic turmoil of the past few weeks behind her, while she — with partner Clarke Gayford and baby Neve — wows world leaders and their delegations at the United Nations in New York.

But she clearly wasn’t banking on tech entrepreneur Derek Handley releasing his text and email communications with her and former Minister for Government Digital Services Clare Curran, and speaking about the sorry saga — including bemoaning his lack of apology or explanation over the bungled chief technology officer recruitment process.

Possibly Ardern thought sacking Curran was enough to put the incident to rest.

However, yesterday the PM found herself having to fend off accusations she had misled Parliament over her own communications with Handley, Finance Minister Grant Robertson was forced to correct his answer in Parliament over emails between Handley and Curran, and new Digital Services Minister Megan Woods was clearly forced to finally call Handley to apologise. She also had to retract her statement there had been a confidentiality agreement with Handley. What a shemozzle. Handley says he has been a victim of speculation since he moved his family from New York home to New Zealand to take up the newly created technology position, which he had been awarded, but which was then scrapped. Until Monday, he said he had still received no explanation, let alone apology, from anyone in the Government. Surely that wasn’t just a failure of process, but good manners, too?

Regardless of whether people thought Handley was the right person for the job he has clearly been a victim. He gets compensation — which he says he will donate to charity — but it’s hardly been the homecoming he and his family had been expecting.

This is a serious black mark for the Government. The overall unease around communication, competency and transparency is now raising questions about Ardern’s leadership and the Government’s integrity in general.

Serious damage control is required from the Prime Minister to stop the matter snowballing further and restore confidence in the Government. She needs to front-foot things in Parliament when she returns.