John - interesting piece. I was interested in the musical chairs that characterizes the Civil Service in Wellington. That, I suppose, is one way of describing it. What is just as interesting is the way that the upper level of Civil Servants reinvest themselves in the various departments of state and keep reappearing. To suggest that it is zombie-like would be to understate it.
On the other hand the way that the Civil Servants seem to move about in NZ and reappear in different guises may justify biologists inventing some form of reproduction apart from those forms that we learned for School Cert bio.
Or else, as a nod to the anniversary of the publication of Mary W Shelley's book, it could well be that there is some laboratory under Mt Victoria where Civil Servants are revivified to take up new roles in the bureaucracy.
Great piece McLean. While I guess there will always be those who seek to enrich themselves I think the greater scandal is the "insidious level of political bipartisanship when it comes to senior public servants" as you put it. Who (re)-appointed Rennie (and Orr, and Carr, and Reddy and etc. etc.) and why does the Government who claim to want change continue to enable the same public service leadership that got us into this mess?
As an ardent card player yourself Simon, you’ll be familiar with the expression “Watch the hands”. New Zealanders need to focus more on what the current Government is doing (and who it is appointing) rather than what it’s saying
Great reaming of yet another bureaucratic trougher. Yet I think you were a little unkind on his educational quals…. after all, a lowly BA from a woke uni can apparently qualify one for such lofty senior roles as Mincer of Finance, of even Vice Chancellor…. Lordy, I’d rather they’d done a plumbing apprenticeship than a Bugger All from those places..
I suppose the error Statistics made was just a mistake and not just another occasion to embarrass the present government. It seems to an outsider that the public service is joined at the hip with the opposition.
Seems to me there’s some sort of unspoken attempted bloodless coup going on, with the elite public service teaming up with the Judiciary and political opposition against the elected Govt
Certainly Public Service obfuscation is clear - but that has long been the case. I clearly recall (because I heard it so many times) the patronising tone that accompanied a "no" that always started "oh Judge, Judge, Judge" accomanied by a patient smile. Sir Humphrey Appleby was not a joke. He was a template.
Not so supportive of your suggestion about the Judiciary - and that is not closing the ranks.
Good strongly-argued opinion piece - just the thing for an overcast, dreary January 2 statutory holiday. It's been a good break but it's now time for things to ramp up again.
John - interesting piece. I was interested in the musical chairs that characterizes the Civil Service in Wellington. That, I suppose, is one way of describing it. What is just as interesting is the way that the upper level of Civil Servants reinvest themselves in the various departments of state and keep reappearing. To suggest that it is zombie-like would be to understate it.
On the other hand the way that the Civil Servants seem to move about in NZ and reappear in different guises may justify biologists inventing some form of reproduction apart from those forms that we learned for School Cert bio.
Or else, as a nod to the anniversary of the publication of Mary W Shelley's book, it could well be that there is some laboratory under Mt Victoria where Civil Servants are revivified to take up new roles in the bureaucracy.
More evidence that ‘Yes Minister’ was a documentary, not fiction. Knighthood on the way for Rennie & his word salad obfuscation no doubt. Sigh.
But none of them will be CMG (Call me God) KCMG(Kindly call me God) or GCMG (God calls me God)
Haha haven’t heard that before
It featured in Yes Minister when Bernard explained the Honours system to Jim Hacker.
Great piece McLean. While I guess there will always be those who seek to enrich themselves I think the greater scandal is the "insidious level of political bipartisanship when it comes to senior public servants" as you put it. Who (re)-appointed Rennie (and Orr, and Carr, and Reddy and etc. etc.) and why does the Government who claim to want change continue to enable the same public service leadership that got us into this mess?
Yes it is quite bizarre to say the least, given the purported change program the government claims to have embarked upon …
As an ardent card player yourself Simon, you’ll be familiar with the expression “Watch the hands”. New Zealanders need to focus more on what the current Government is doing (and who it is appointing) rather than what it’s saying
Great reaming of yet another bureaucratic trougher. Yet I think you were a little unkind on his educational quals…. after all, a lowly BA from a woke uni can apparently qualify one for such lofty senior roles as Mincer of Finance, of even Vice Chancellor…. Lordy, I’d rather they’d done a plumbing apprenticeship than a Bugger All from those places..
I suppose the error Statistics made was just a mistake and not just another occasion to embarrass the present government. It seems to an outsider that the public service is joined at the hip with the opposition.
Seems to me there’s some sort of unspoken attempted bloodless coup going on, with the elite public service teaming up with the Judiciary and political opposition against the elected Govt
Certainly Public Service obfuscation is clear - but that has long been the case. I clearly recall (because I heard it so many times) the patronising tone that accompanied a "no" that always started "oh Judge, Judge, Judge" accomanied by a patient smile. Sir Humphrey Appleby was not a joke. He was a template.
Not so supportive of your suggestion about the Judiciary - and that is not closing the ranks.
Normally I'd say that's a conspiracy theory but the ruckus at the Northern Club does raise some questions.
Good strongly-argued opinion piece - just the thing for an overcast, dreary January 2 statutory holiday. It's been a good break but it's now time for things to ramp up again.
Is this the fault of out dubious Prime Minister ? Who was Dutton in this charade ? or was his name just a variation on Sutton ?
Dutton is of course now the leader of the Australian political opposition. Remarkable how these people morph and pop up!