Cost-saving cuts blur frontlines

Government cuts are edging closer to the public service coalface, with the line between “frontline” and “back-office” jobs increasingly blurry in the search for savings.

As the National-led Government’s knife plunges deeper, The Post can reveal cuts to Crown Law and Te Puna Aonui – the unit set up to improve New Zealand’s approach to family violence and sexual violence. Even the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care is not excluded from having to find savings.

Te Puna Aonui confirmed it needs to save 6.5% and Crown Law, which provides the Government legal advice and representation services, is tossing up disestablishing jobs – including some occupied by lawyers. A question-mark hangs over the future of a graduate law programme.

“If roles are disestablished, our priority will be to find suitable reassignment opportunities across Crown Law. However, the proposal could result in a small number of redundancies,” a spokesperson said.

On Te Puna Aonui, Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson said the public had a right to understand “that any short-term savings should be interrogated for longterm costs”.

“It will simply extend those costs over generations – then this ends up a very counter-active and possibly harmful exercise for the sake of looking frugal and responsible”.

As well, Crown Law is weighing up the future of its two-year graduate law programme from 2026.

A Law Society spokesperson said the programme enabled the public sector to compete for the “best and brightest law graduates in a competitive market”.

The Royal Commission into Abuse in Care received a letter from Internal Affairs boss Paul James in late January, saying he would be “grateful” if it could identify savings and improvements.

A commission spokesperson said “spending efficiencies” continue to be made as the inquiry nears delivering its final report, due later this month.

Labour spokesperson Lemauga Lydia Sosene said she would be concerned if there were plans to cut this back and “not do right by the survivors who have for years given themselves and their stories to this process”.

There also appears to be inconsistency between National and ACT ministers over where cuts need to deliver value or stick to National's promises to spare frontline jobs. It follows revelations