Thoroughly agree. My recollection is that the actual culprit is Parliament, which passed the original State Services Act (or similar name), which provided a separation between state servants and Ministers, and allowed Ministers to escape from the principle of Ministerial Responsibility. This of course included the Higher Salaries Commission (or similar name) which did the same thing. We now have a system where the bureaucrats are operating a system for their own benefit which our elected representatives have effectively contracted out their responsibilities.
I bid a fond farewell to Mr Hughes who created his own empire, complete with unparalleled levels of favour for some, and who, if my memory serves me correctly, remained absent from Wellington for almost all of the initial Covid response - leaving others to demonstrate leadership.
On another matter, while I do agree that the highest members of the public service get very well paid, the lowliest do not, so a comparison of ‘average’ pay does not tell the entire story. There does need, when considering such rates of pay, a recognition of the actual responsibilities of the people involved, so the likes of Police Commissioner and CDF should have a significantly higher wage than the head of Crown Law or IRD.
Astute comments thanks Tony. I'm sure the public servant managerial classes are more than happy to flog the front-liners and pay them the bare minimum. There seems to me to be little rhyme or reason to the pay relativities between the public service bosses. And all those odious high-end recruiters (the Korn Ferry types) all lurking around telling everyone its all kosher and taking their massive cuts for Peter Principle placements.
Can you enlighten us on which Government passed this "State Services Act" Tony? It's almost unbelievable......No bastard takes any responsibility these days it seems.....
Great write thanks John. Any thoughts on other public servants such as Judges? I recall something about 12 weeks leave p.a. and year-long sabbaticals. I’d be fine with that if they were good, but the verdicts this untrained eye comes across appear far too often to be well removed from ‘good’. (Assuming ‘good’ means representing the will of the people & reflective of the legislation)
But 100% with you on the overpaid salaries in central and local Govt.
I thank you again for this work John. I have shared and disseminated it as much as I can as I feel like most of us that these people are after all "Civil Servants" which as we all know means serving us/the nation not themselves. I have written a pretty stiff letter to several Ministers and MP's asking for clarification. No doubt I will get foppish replies but it doesn't hurt and it makes me feel better. Again thank you for your valuable research and time.
Brilliant again John.Tear down these public servant walls
Thoroughly agree. My recollection is that the actual culprit is Parliament, which passed the original State Services Act (or similar name), which provided a separation between state servants and Ministers, and allowed Ministers to escape from the principle of Ministerial Responsibility. This of course included the Higher Salaries Commission (or similar name) which did the same thing. We now have a system where the bureaucrats are operating a system for their own benefit which our elected representatives have effectively contracted out their responsibilities.
I bid a fond farewell to Mr Hughes who created his own empire, complete with unparalleled levels of favour for some, and who, if my memory serves me correctly, remained absent from Wellington for almost all of the initial Covid response - leaving others to demonstrate leadership.
On another matter, while I do agree that the highest members of the public service get very well paid, the lowliest do not, so a comparison of ‘average’ pay does not tell the entire story. There does need, when considering such rates of pay, a recognition of the actual responsibilities of the people involved, so the likes of Police Commissioner and CDF should have a significantly higher wage than the head of Crown Law or IRD.
Astute comments thanks Tony. I'm sure the public servant managerial classes are more than happy to flog the front-liners and pay them the bare minimum. There seems to me to be little rhyme or reason to the pay relativities between the public service bosses. And all those odious high-end recruiters (the Korn Ferry types) all lurking around telling everyone its all kosher and taking their massive cuts for Peter Principle placements.
Can you enlighten us on which Government passed this "State Services Act" Tony? It's almost unbelievable......No bastard takes any responsibility these days it seems.....
Pretty sure that it was National
A number of these public servants photos remind me of rodents. Anyone else pickup on the likeness in their photos?
Rampant Greed as expected I guess....as that great self educated Aussie PM Keating once said "In a two horse race always back Self-Interest".
Great write thanks John. Any thoughts on other public servants such as Judges? I recall something about 12 weeks leave p.a. and year-long sabbaticals. I’d be fine with that if they were good, but the verdicts this untrained eye comes across appear far too often to be well removed from ‘good’. (Assuming ‘good’ means representing the will of the people & reflective of the legislation)
But 100% with you on the overpaid salaries in central and local Govt.
I thank you again for this work John. I have shared and disseminated it as much as I can as I feel like most of us that these people are after all "Civil Servants" which as we all know means serving us/the nation not themselves. I have written a pretty stiff letter to several Ministers and MP's asking for clarification. No doubt I will get foppish replies but it doesn't hurt and it makes me feel better. Again thank you for your valuable research and time.