Christopher Luxon, New Zealand Prime Minister 2023

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Forums › Politics › Christopher Luxon, New Zealand Prime Minister 2023

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#3493404 18-May-2026 14:09

In politics, its no good doing the right thing, unless you first tell someone else (or everyone else) that you are doing this good thing and ideally you should time the announcement for when it might most distract the public from something bad that you have done (or something that you haven't done that you should have)....

MikeAqua

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#3493420 18-May-2026 14:42

SaltyNZ:

This is a good idea, I think. But are they unaware that they are the government and can just do it right now, or are they waiting for people to forget about Tim Jago?

There are very few things a govt (any govt) can do right now. Unless there is an emergency. For leg, regs, or even policies there are usual processes to follow. And even once implemented, it will only apply to people who are charged after implementation.

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CruciasNZ

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#3493675 19-May-2026 08:45

Well this will be a mess for many sectors, and sets Labour up to be slammed for hiring and engaging Consultants. Didn't we see this same cycle before the Adern government? https://www.stuff.co.nz/politics/360980612/thousands-public-servants-lose-jobs-potentially-saving-government-over-billion-dollars

Also, the new State Highway MCs have just been tendered and run for most of the decade to come. They meet a pledge by the government to cut down on waste by (NZTA) taking back control over planning and design activities to get more done with less dollars. However NZTA doesn't have the staff to meet their obligations or expectations under the IDM approach, so they'll have to use Consultants - but the Government pledged to cut down on Consultants, so now we're setting sail on the SS AI.

Having seen how poorly AI handles anything but the most simple designs and how badly it hallucinates when handling technical knowledge, I suspect we're in for a fun time. Granted both issues could be solved with sufficient investment... so more Consultants

EDIT: Both big parties need to come to some sort of bipartisan framework for core government and infrastructure, because this ferris wheel ride is expensive and disruptive

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GV27

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#3493764 19-May-2026 14:18

I am being asked to accept that the public sector is too bloated and complex but a slimmed down public sector will be somehow less complex and find it easier to self-report and actually progress policy outcomes without the same resources to make it happen.

Seems like the answer is less complexity, not fewer people. I can accept the growth under the previous government came in the wrong areas of the public service, but shrinking the other bits of it to make up for it is not solving that problem. The front-line bits are still undermanned, just less proportionally so when it comes to overall headcount... so which is it? Are the people the problem or the outcomes? And if it's the outcomes, how does this change anything?

sen8or

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#3493766 19-May-2026 14:41

Poor Wellington, the businesses in the CBD are already hurting with fewer public sector staff, this isn't going to help them one little bit.

Can AI replace some of the back office staff / systems, I honestly don't know, now possibly not, but in the future is anyones guess. Some fairly large businesses are using AI tools heavily already, they wouldn't be doing so if there wasn't a long term strategic and financial benefit for them doing so.

SaltyNZ

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#3493776 19-May-2026 15:07

sen8or:

Can AI replace some of the back office staff / systems, I honestly don't know, now possibly not, but in the future is anyones guess. Some fairly large businesses are using AI tools heavily already, they wouldn't be doing so if there wasn't a long term strategic and financial benefit for them doing so.

Just for funsies, I asked Llama 3.1 (running locally on my games PC) what 3GPP TS document defines the Access-Network-Information AVP and gave it web search access. Despite the answer being in the summary of the literal top result in the search, it told me it could not find an answer but maybe I should read TS 29.272, which is the Diameter Protocol specification (it is not). So ... I'm going to go out on a limb and say no.

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SaltyNZ

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#3493784 19-May-2026 15:20

Got to love this, though:

Where the staff, and cost cuts, are coming from:

...
Ministry for Regulation. Employs 93 people. Its workforce has grown 15% over the past year.

David Seymour's ministry for regulation to save money and cut red tape is on the chopping block for costing too much money.

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sen8or

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#3493803 19-May-2026 16:09

Live by the sword......?

At least they are being consistent and looking at all areas for savings, not keeping their pet projects bloated

Handle9

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#3493813 19-May-2026 16:26

At least this actually makes some sense. Keeping inflated public spending and cutting taxes was ludicrous.

I don't know that it will get the effect they want but at least there is a semblance of logic.

GV27

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#3493879 19-May-2026 21:05

Handle9:

At least this actually makes some sense. Keeping inflated public spending and cutting taxes was ludicrous.

I don't know that it will get the effect they want but at least there is a semblance of logic.

Two years too late to be genuine though, isn't it? The growth in the public sector headcounts since 2017 was a sore point for National in the last election, yet here we are before the next one before we're seeing any serious talk about getting even halfway there. Some department and institutions had simply massive growth in headcount (looking at you, RBNZ).

I'm guessing what will happen is a bunch of ministries will be restructured to include new roles which will then not be filled, and natural attrition will take care of the rest over a four year period, which people can then decide to pretend to be happy with or pissed off about depending on which flag they wave.

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#3493890 19-May-2026 23:36

sen8or: Poor Wellington, the businesses in the CBD are already hurting with fewer public sector staff, this isn't going to help them one little bit.

It's very bad. Not looking forward to this making it worse.

I have friends who work in the public sector terrified they're about to lose everything they've got including one who lives on her own, owns a house with a smallish mortgage but is already struggling with the fact she had to catch the train in daily to work in the city (which has gone up in cost) all because Nicola wanted govt to return to the office, costs blowing out at the supermarket, at the fuel pump, utilities (Power) and now is stressing out because her rates are about to go up $2000 per year because "herp derp 3 waters bad" and for the final nail in the coffin is now fully stressed out that she is about to lose her job because this government has an utterly useless finance minister who doesn't care about anyone except themselves, landlords and their mates especially since they still have the budget to give themselves modest payrises (Dame Jacinda Ardern instituted a pay freeze for MPs in 2018 and her cabinet voted to take a pay cut in 2020, during the Covid-19 pandemic) when the public sector has barely seen any in years and again, is now facing more cuts.

To anyone who thinks this is a good thing; glad you're sorted and only care about yourself. Having been through uncertainty myself because of this government at a previous job then being made redundant the main thing people really don't understand is the toll it takes on peoples mental health and well-being. I'm really glad I had an incredibly supportive wife and friends around me during that time.

If you know anyone in the public sector then please take the time to check up on them. I know many of them are not sleeping well right now.

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SaltyNZ

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#3493894 20-May-2026 06:41

GV27:

people can then decide to pretend to be happy with or pissed off about depending on which flag they wave.

Sounds like an outcome we can all aspire to.

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MikeAqua

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#3493947 20-May-2026 10:11

CruciasNZ:

... so now we're setting sail on the SS AI.

Having seen how poorly AI handles anything but the most simple designs and how badly it hallucinates when handling technical knowledge, I suspect we're in for a fun time. Granted both issues could be solved with sufficient investment... so more Consultants

EDIT: Both big parties need to come to some sort of bipartisan framework for core government and infrastructure, because this ferris wheel ride is expensive and disruptive

As I understand it, AI is being used to accelerate mundane everyday tasks like internet research and summarising documents. Govt depts aren't using the free version of Google AI or whatever. The one I'm familiar with have an in-house deployment. AI won't write policy for you, but it will find you a bunch of sources on similar policy in other countries. When you do write a policy doc, it will translate that into a slide deck in few seconds, and it will write your exec summary for you too. Obviously work has to be checked, and occasionally tone adjusted.

There are bunch of uses that save time on basic tasks. AI transcripts of meetings are one. My employer's solicitor uses that. We can't be far away from AI travel planning and diary management either.

Mike

MikeAqua

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#3493969 20-May-2026 11:01

michaelmurfy:

To anyone who thinks this is a good thing; glad you're sorted and only care about yourself. Having been through uncertainty myself because of this government at a previous job then being made redundant the main thing people really don't understand is the toll it takes on peoples mental health and well-being. I'm really glad I had an incredibly supportive wife and friends around me during that time.

I've been through three restructures in my life. Including one where I was made redundant. It absolutely sucks. The feeling of rejection is awful. Even when your job isn't at risk but your colleagues are, it's a bad feeling. Even when you quietly believe the organisation genuinely doesn't need that role. There is no good restructure, fast (suspense = pain), lawful and effective are as close to good as it gets. I'm fortunate to have always been able to find other employment during the restructure process.

I have skin in this particular game, as I have immediate family and friends who work in govt. But ... govt isn't a welfare scheme. Govt doesn't exist to employ people for the sake of employing people. That's the road to economic ruin.

The purpose of a job is to create value. Value will mean different things in different roles, but the basic exchange is consistent - employee creates value for employer, who pays them. If a position is no longer creating value for the employer, then it has to go. That applies to govt as much as it does to business.

From 2017 - 2023 core govt service headcount increased from ~45k to ~65k. That's about a 44% increase, in difficult economic circumstances. The PSA and media seem to gloss over that.

From 2023 to present head declined to ~63k. That's a 3% decrease, during even worse economic times. Willis is now talking about reducing headcount from 1.2% of population to 1%. That's a decrease of 10.5k. If my maths are mathsering in a maths-like manner ... that would leave us at ~52k, which is still 15% up on the 2017 headcount.

There is a valid argument that a major restructure close to an election, which either party could win, isn't appropriate. The counter argument is that the current government should carry on as if they're going to win until parliament rises. I've always been taught to plan for success but have contingencies for when the eff-up fairy comes to visit. There are no contingencies for elected officials who lose an election, of course

Mike

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#3494017 20-May-2026 13:23

How DOGE is Willis' cost cutting?

NZHerald: [Willis] said AI was “incredible” at slashing the amount of time needed for mundane tasks, revealing her staff used it to write a report on public service reform.

One wonders.

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