This reportedly led an ACT MP to ask, “what’s the point?”
It is no secret, of course, that Deputy Prime Minister and ACT leader David Seymour is hoping to axe the Ministries for Ethnic Communities, Women, Pacific Peoples and Maori Development.
He has said those ministries spend their time “justifying their existence” rather than delivering essential services.
The case for a public service restructuring – if not severe pruning – is supported by a report developed by the New Zealand Initiative.
Titled Unscrambling Government: Less Confusion, More Efficiency, it says the country has “one of the most complex systems of government in the developed world”, with 81 ministerial portfolios and 43 government departments.
The report proposes merging smaller ministries, such as Pacific Peoples, Ethnic Communities, Seniors, and Women, into a larger “Home Affairs” department.
Roger Partridge, a co-author of the report and chair of the New Zealand Initiative, says the current structure leads to “fragmented decision-making, a lack of accountability, and higher fiscal costs”.
He compares New Zealand’s governmental setup to “a bowl of spaghetti”, saying that more streamlined countries with populations similar to Aotearoa’s (between five and 10 million), typically operate with only 15 to 20 ministerial portfolios and about 20 government departments.
Partridge noted that some departments, like the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE), report to as many as 20 ministers.
He has said those ministries spend their time “justifying their existence” rather than delivering essential services.
The case for a public service restructuring – if not severe pruning – is supported by a report developed by the New Zealand Initiative.
Titled Unscrambling Government: Less Confusion, More Efficiency, it says the country has “one of the most complex systems of government in the developed world”, with 81 ministerial portfolios and 43 government departments.
The report proposes merging smaller ministries, such as Pacific Peoples, Ethnic Communities, Seniors, and Women, into a larger “Home Affairs” department.
Roger Partridge, a co-author of the report and chair of the New Zealand Initiative, says the current structure leads to “fragmented decision-making, a lack of accountability, and higher fiscal costs”.
He compares New Zealand’s governmental setup to “a bowl of spaghetti”, saying that more streamlined countries with populations similar to Aotearoa’s (between five and 10 million), typically operate with only 15 to 20 ministerial portfolios and about 20 government departments.
Partridge noted that some departments, like the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE), report to as many as 20 ministers.
Click to view
The report included the chart shown above which illustrates government departments, portfolios and ministers.
To raise a question about one element of the tangle, who benefits from the work of the Ministry for Ethnic Communities – or rather, who benefits from the largess it distributes?
The New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union today provided an answer. It has revealed that an Official Information Act request flushed out the news that the Ministry funded $30,000 for Asturlab Cultural Centre to run a nationwide advocacy campaign, using taxpayer funds to promote pro-Palestinian narratives on the conflict in Gaza.
This funding comes from the Ethnic Communities Development Fund which distributes $4.2 million of taxpayer money each year and follows a select committee report finding the Ministry has no clear evidence of achieving any meaningful outcomes.
Taxpayers Union Investigations Coordinator, Rhys Hurley said:
“OIA documents show $30,000 was handed to the Asturlab Cultural Centre in Christchurch to run the ‘4 for 40 Stop the Silence Campaign’ – a Gaza advocacy campaign aimed at shifting public opinion toward a ceasefire and accusing Israel of genocide.. How does a government body funding an explicitly political campaign support our ethnic communities?
“We’ve all seen posters around town accusing Israel of such things. Not in a million years would anyone expect them to be taxpayer-funded.
“The fund’s own rules say it does not support political objectives, yet this application was approved within days, with a Ministry advisor even helping tweak it to get over the line.”
The full list of funded projects includes swimming lessons for Pakistani women and events like Wellington’s CubaDupa festival.
Hurley said:
“New Zealand already has multiple agencies funding and advising on community development, social cohesion, and diversity. Would it not be far cheaper to wind up these demographic ministries and have the work picked up by existing bodies like the Human Rights Commission?”
Mind you, a case could be made for getting rid of the Human Rights Commission, too.
Bob Edlin is a veteran journalist and editor for the Point of Order blog HERE. - where this article was sourced.
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