This week the government has relied heavily upon a statistic that many most likely never knew we kept — the ratio of public servants to the population — as justification for cutting hundreds of jobs from the public payroll.
Historically, that ratio was about 1%, but in recent years it has increased to about 1.21%. That has been deemed excessive, and so the government has announced its intention to reduce the public service headcount back to 1% by 2029 — potentially costing about 8700 people their jobs.
This three-year programme is being rolled out alongside several other cost-cutting initiatives, including that most ministries and agencies will be expected to cut budgets by 2% this year and a further 5% over the next two years.
Among those exempted are the Defence Force, the police, and the Ministries of Corrections, Health, Justice and Education. Those included encompass the likes of the Cancer Control Agency, the National Emergency Management Agency and the Conservation, Primary Industries, Social Development and Transport Ministries.
These moves, as well a much-touted but scantily detailed expansion of the use of AI, are anticipated to save $2.4 billion over the forecast period.
Saving taxpayer money is good, and even though there has already been a round of departmental cost cutting under this government it is not beyond the realm of possibility that some excess, duplication or redundancy remains to be trimmed out of those budgets.
Closing or merging some departments or other government bodies may also have merit. Our closest neighbour, Australia, has 16.
Despite those caveats, there is much about this which is troubling.
The ratio being deployed as justification by the government seems arbitrary, and also has the potential to be a blunt instrument.
Saying that New Zealand employs a lot of people in its public service is one thing, but it does not automatically follow that hundreds, if not thousands, of them are therefore doing something of no productive value or worth to the taxpayer.
A Public Service Association analysis suggested that if the headcount of the exempt ministries and agencies were taken out of the equation, those that remained employed about 37,000 people, and that nearly a quarter would lose their jobs.
Ms Willis soon clarified that all departments would be subject to possible job losses and said that the government was cutting its cloth to suit these straightened economic times.
Again, a bit of belt tightening is not a bad thing, but cinching in this many notches smacks of cutting off circulation.
These cuts will have a nationwide effect and bring uncertainty to thousands of families. There has been little evidence provided that these cuts will actually improve service provision, and an overly optimistic expectation that the private sector — which is also doing it tough right now — will step up to provide jobs for the newly unemployed former public servants.
The government should endeavour to save public money, but it needs to do so in a smart and well-thought out way which does not sacrifice roles the public will happily pay for on the alter of reaching a fixed headcount.
Doubling back
Back in 1982 fledgling record label Flying Nun released the landmark Dunedin Double EP album. While today we know there was something called ‘‘the Dunedin Sound’’ emerging, it took quite a leap of faith to anticipate that 44 years ago.
Of the four bands recorded, The Chills, Sneaky Feelings, The Stones and The Verlaines, three went on to national and international acclaim.
Those with their ears to the ground have long been touting that a Dunedin Sound renaissance is imminent, and this week comes news that another Dunedin Double is about to be released. U-no Juno, Sivle Talk, Sogg and Vagina Dry are the four bands featured.
In a lovely closing the circle touch Rachel and Sara — the sisters of the late The Chills frontman Martin Phillipps — have funded the mastering of the new record.
The new record has much to live up to: if it does even half as well it will be an outstanding success.
