Media release: New report demystifies the state sector and calls for reform
EMBARGOED UNTIL 2.30 PM, TUESDAY 10 SEPTEMBER
Wellington (Monday, 9 September 2024) - A new report from The New Zealand Initiative challenges common perceptions of New Zealand's state sector and calls for fundamental reforms to improve its performance.
The report "Demystifying the State", authored by Dr Tony Burton, provides an in-depth analysis of how the state sector functions, moving beyond idealistic portrayals to examine its real-world limitations and potential for improvement.
"There is a tendency to view the public service through rose-tinted glasses, as either unsung heroes or faceless bureaucrats," says Dr Oliver Hartwich, Executive Director of The New Zealand Initiative. "This report strips away those myths to reveal a very human institution, with all the aforementioned strengths and weaknesses".
Key findings of the report include:
- Hierarchy, disengaged motivation, information limits, and lack of accountability constrain the state sector.
- These constraints create mismatches between what state institutions are asked to do and what they can realistically achieve.
- Recent reforms, particularly the 2020 Public Service Act, further undermine the transparency and accountability of the state sector.
"Understanding these limitations is crucial for any meaningful reform," says Burton. "We need to move beyond simplistic notions of 'public service motivation' and confront the realities of how large organisations function."
The report is the first of two examining the state sector. A follow-up report, to be released later this year, will propose specific reforms to address the issues identified.
This report will be launched on Tuesday, 10 September, at 2:30 pm via webinar, which you can register for here.
An embargoed copy of the report is attached to this email and will be on the New Zealand Initiative website at the time of the webinar.
ENDS
To arrange an interview with Dr Tony Burton, please contact:
Jamuel Enriquez, Marketing and Communications Manager
E: jamuel.enriquez@nzinitiative.org.nz
P: 021 022 34451
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About The New Zealand Initiative
The New Zealand Initiative is an evidence-based think tank and research institute contributing to public policy discussion.
Supported by the nation’s leading visionaries, business leaders and political thinkers, we are committed to making New Zealand a better country for all its citizens with a world-class education system, affordable housing, a healthy environment, sound public finances and a stable currency.
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