Minister for Transport Chris Bishop. Photo: RNZ / Mark Papalii
The Minister for Transport can't say how many people are expected to lose their jobs as the government plans to merge multiple ministries with around 1300 staff in total.
Chris Bishop said the agencies involved are "very high-performing" but he acknowledged - while the intention is for "better government" rather than cost reduction - there will be "efficiencies on the way through".
He said those efficiencies will be a decision for the new chief executive. Bishop planned to visit the agencies along with other ministers involved and speak directly to the staff affected over the coming days.
The government announced a mega ministry which will take on the work of housing, transport, and local government functions.
The new Ministry of Cities, Environment, Regions and Transport (MCERT) will bring together the ministries of environment, transport, housing and urban development and the local government functions of Internal Affairs.
Bishop said he currently had the "privilege" of being the minister for many of those agencies and they often provide different advice across different issues.
"We want coherent, integrated advice across some of the great challenges facing New Zealand, and we think this will help make a difference."
The announcement was made to provide "clarity and certainty" to the public and the people who work in those agencies it was happening, given it had been talked about publicly for three or four months now, Bishop said.
He said careful thought was given to the timing of the announcement. With Christmas approaching, he said the alternative was to make the decision now and announce it in February next year. He pointed out that sort of delay would be legitimately criticised.
Bishop confirmed there'd been a range of scenarios considered as part of the advice received in relation to job losses, but that work couldn't start until certainty was provided around the merge.
"That's all for another day.
"It's really important that the new CE gets in place, establishes a structure, works out exactly the business units and how it's going to operate."
Bishop said it wasn't a decision they'd made "lightly", but that it was the right one.
In the coming days, Bishop said he and other ministers would personally visit staff affected at all of the agencies. His message to them would be the same message to the public: "they are very high performing.
"They're a high-performing agency full of high quality New Zealanders who are working for the public interest."
He pointed to the work delivered by the Ministry for the Environment such as the Fast-track legislation, amendments to the existing RMA and new bills that would replace it.
"My message to them is they will be more effective once you bring together climate adaptation with local government and with transport and with housing, because climate adaptation spans all of those issues, and at the moment, it's completely disconnected and they're not working together as a team."
Whether there would be a reduction in Cabinet roles, due to a consolidation of portfolios, Bishop said that was up to the prime minister.
Around $30 million of "initial up front investment" was required to bring the agencies together, but indicated there would be more efficiencies due to the merge after a couple of years.
Labour leader Chris Hipkins. Photo: RNZ / Mark Papalii
Opposition's response
Labour leader Chris Hipkins said "another expensive merger" of government departments wouldn't be his priority while all the economic indicators are going backwards and things are getting worse for New Zealanders.
"The merger of MBIE didn't deliver the benefits that the government then claimed it was going to deliver. This one's not going to be any different.
"What it will do is cost taxpayers a lot of money in rebranding and reorganisation at a time when we should be focused on other issues."
The Greens co-leader Marama Davidson said she'll be keeping a close eye on whether this would result in more cuts to public services.
"We'd like to see if this is going to ensure that communities continue to receive the public services that they deserve, that they're entitled to."
She wanted to understand better what the government was trying to achieve with the merger.
"Certainly, if it's about making sure that our communities are receiving the support they need - that could be a really good thing.
"I also want to understand if this is about more cuts to government services."
Davidson said this government was "trampling over the top" of local decision-making and local government decision-making, and suggested a need to better understand whether the government was "authentic" about supporting local decision-making and ensuring communities get the services they deserve.
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