Source: Radio New Zealand
Public Service Commissioner Brian Roche will be in charge of implementing the public sector changes the government announced on Tuesday. RNZ / REECE BAKER
An overhaul of the public sector is a chance to modernise it and the associated job cuts were regrettable but a fact of life, thehe head of the Public Service Commission says.
The government has announced plans to slash public service jobs by about 14 percent over the next three years in a shake-up it says will deliver $2.4 billion of savings.
On Tuesday, the finance minister revealed plans to reduce the public service headcount to 55,000 full-time equivalent employees by 2029 – or around 1 percent of the population.
There are currently just over 63,000 full-time public servants, which is a slight decrease under this coalition government from the high of approximately 65,000 in the 2024/25 year.
Implementing the changes falls on the Public Service Commissioner, who has previously warned there significant risks to the sector’s current operating model.
Sir Brian Roche told Morning Report job losses were regrettable, but a fact of life.
He said the public service currently used outdated processes and there were improvements to be made.
Sir Brian said he would work with all the other chief executives to achieve the objectives set out by the government.
It would be done through measures such as attrition and the greater use of technology and AI, he said.
“It’s regrettable that this is going to occur but change does require to be made and it’s going to have an impact on human capital, that is a fact of life, we have to manage that really well.”
The government’s deadline of three years was enough time to achieve what was wanted, he said.
“The way I see it we have got very old outdated systems, we’ve got very old outdated processes and we’re not serving New Zealanders as well as we could and must and that’s the challenge and that’s the opportunity.”
Sir Brian said he would like a modernised system which enable workers to do better work, to achieve better productivity and better outcomes.
Government department chief executives have brought into the plan, he said.
“I think the fact we have a mandate is a genuine opportunity to move out of this constant cost-cutting, cost-cutting and actually modernise the systems, the processes and the leadership.”
At the end of this process there will be several key outcomes, he said.
“One, it’ll have integrated services to the public, at the moment we run in 42 different silos. Secondly, we’ll have a very strong system orientation not an institution orientation and the third one is we will be more efficient and more productive.
“Everything that I’m suggesting and everything that the government is asking of us is happening somewhere in public administration today, so this isn’t an experiment.”
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/05/21/public-service-commissioner-says-job-cuts-regrettable-but-sector-needs-reform/