Government’s public service cuts will hurt Pasifika says MP

Slashing and burning our public service will put our communities on a fast track to struggle street.

Public service workers play an integral role in our society, providing services that support our most vulnerable and steer Aotearoa towards the brighter future we all want.

Their dedication and hard work ensure the machinery of government is delivering in the areas that matter.

This is why, like all people, those in public-interest jobs deserve fair treatment.

Unfortunately, we have a Government that is happy to cut public sector roles, throwing workers, their families and projects and services into a state of disarray. This is undermining the ability of the state to provide for our communities, all for the purpose of pleasing the wealthy elite.

This will cost Aotearoa greatly. The proposed 384 job cuts at the Ministry for Primary Industries, for example, will significantly impact critical areas such as biosecurity, farm animal disease control, food safety, fisheries, forestry, and animal welfare. Maintaining high standards in these areas is crucial for New Zealand’s export economy.

An already-underfunded health system is about to have jobs axed as well, with the Ministry of Health proposing cutting about 25 per cent of its workforce.

In a proposal sent to staff this month, the ministry said it would disestablish 134 roles.

The proposed cuts at the Ministry for Pacific Peoples will have a significant impact on Pasifika communities. A critical role of the ministry is to help link the Government with communities that can sometimes be hard to reach. With Pasifika families already facing challenges such as overcrowded housing and financial struggles, the Government will struggle to gauge the impact of its regime on our Pacific wha¯ nau — but perhaps it doesn’t care.

The Green Party would look to bolster, not burn, the public service. This would ensure it is fit for purpose in pushing us towards the transition we so desperately need to ensure a liveable future for people and planet.

With a strong public sector that retains its expertise we can achieve a lot more. We can commit our public sector to a long-term public housing build programme. We can build up expertise to deliver modern public transport networks in our cities, to cull congestion and climate pollution. We can also use our public sector to deliver incomes where people can thrive.

Instead of giving tax cuts to landlords and high earners, we should build our public service and build a future that benefits all.