A proposal to cut the size of the Ministry for Pacific Peoples workforce by 40% has been described as “brutal” by the union representing its workers.
The Ministry, which was formed in 1990, is looking to shed 63 of its 156 positions, the Public Service Association said.
Of those roles, 31 are already vacant.
The Prime Minister today said the Government was trying to instil a culture of fiscal discipline in the public service that was focused on outcomes.
It comes after it was revealed the Ministry of Primary Industries would cut 384 roles, and the Ministry of Health almost 200 jobs – about a quarter of its workforce.
There were also possible job cuts, cut backs or voluntary redundancies on the table for ACC, the Ministry of Education, Customs, Oranga Tamariki, Fire and Emergency NZ, Internal Affairs, Crown Law, the Ministry of Social Development, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development and the Ministry of Ethnic Communities.
The Government has directed departments to identify up to 7.5% in savings.
Public Service Association national secretary Duane Leo said the cuts would have far reaching consequences for the health and wellbeing of Pasifika families in New Zealand and across the Pacific.
“The 40% reduction is going to have a huge impact on a small ministry serving a population of about 400,000 Pasifika people in New Zealand, many of whom have close links across the Pacific.”
He said the Pasifika community needed “dedicated government support”.
“Pasifka families are more likely to live in overcrowded, unhealthy housing, and that their families are more likely to struggle financially than other New Zealanders.
“The Pasifika population has also grown rapidly – by 43% between 2006 and 2018, twice the rate of New Zealand’s population.”
He said the Ministry had been active in Pasifika communities supporting housing development, the creation of training and employment opportunities, supporting Pasifika languages, cultures and identities, and developing social enterprises, and was a “bridge” between the Government and Pasifika peoples.
“This work is needed now more than ever. Pasifika communities are grappling with the high cost of living and are more at risk than others from the downturn in the employment market.
“These cuts show the low level of importance this Government accords the Pasifika community. Unfortunately, this isn’t surprising given a senior Cabinet member joked before the election about blowing the ministry up.”
In August last year ACT leader and deputy-prime-minister-to-be David Seymour told Newstalk ZB he wanted to dismantle the Ministry and: “In my fantasy, we’d send a guy called Guy Fawkes in there and it’d be all over, but we’ll probably have to have a more formal approach than that.”
Guy Fawkes, along with co-conspirators in the Gunpowder Plot, attempted to blow up the UK Parliament in 1605, but was caught before doing so.
Seymour insisted the comment was meant in jest.
It had followed a scandal at the Ministry where it was revealed it had spent close to $40,000 on a farewell for a departing chief executive in 2022.
Leo said the proposed cuts showed the “cold, hard reality of the choice this Government has made”.
“Giving $3 billion in tax cuts to landlord is somehow deemed more important than supporting important and at times vulnerable communities.”
‘Unforgiveable’ – Greens
Green Party’s Pacific peoples spokesperson Teanau Tuiono said the job cuts would have a devastating impact on Pacific communities and further highlighted “how little this Government cares about anything other than cutting taxes for the wealthiest few”.
He said the move was “unforgiveable”.
“Aotearoa is a Pacific nation. The interconnectedness of our whakapapa and history across Te Moana nui a Kiwa is as extensive and deep as the moana itself,” he said.
“When Pacific peoples, communities, and cultures thrive, Aotearoa thrives.
“For many years, the Ministry of Pacific Peoples has helped strengthen the family, community and cultural connections between Pasifika peoples living in Aotearoa and the islands.
“MPP has done this with the blessing and collective support of our community, and by empowering Pacific communities to be at the decision-making table, driving and leading innovative solutions – contributing across all government agencies to ensure Pacific voices are heard.
“Now this government is hell bent on severing that connection. And for what? So this Government can cobble together the money it needs to pay for tax cuts that benefit the wealthy few.”
Labour Pacific peoples spokesperson, Carmel Sepuloni said 40% was a “heavy axe to drop” and “disproportionate to the cuts we’ve seen for everyone else”.
“This puts at risk frontline support for Pasifika in terms of education, employment and housing. In some instances, the Ministry for Pacific Peoples (MPP) are providing support to Pacific providers who deliver directly to Pacific communities across a range of sectors. The whole system of support for Pasifika is potentially jeopardised because of these cuts.”
She said like all population group agencies, MPP had a mandate to provide policy advice across government departments.
“Their ability to do this for Pacific peoples will be undermined by the cuts. The direct impact of this will be a halt to progress and potentially take Pacific communities backwards. It feels like the Government really do not care if this happens. “
Government says cuts about ‘financial discipline’
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon was asked for his response to the PSA’s claim the cuts meant the Government considered the Pasifika community of little importance.
He said he disagreed completely.
“We’re making sure there is a culture of financial discipline
“The previous administration increased government spending by 84%. They hired 16,000, more public servants, it borrowed more, it spent more, it taxed more and delivered worse outcomes on every dimension across New Zealand.
“We have to make sure that public service is delivering New Zealanders. We are focused on outcomes, and making sure that we actually deliver that. We want efficiencies and effectiveness and savings to be generated in the back office, and made sure that every program that we’re putting taxpayer money into has to deliver an improved outcome.”
He said that was “just how good government should operate” and the reason New Zealand was in “a real bind” because the previous Labour Government mismanaged the economy.