Staffing Halt “Not Panic Action”

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31291, 10 February 1967, Page 3

Staffing Halt “Not Panic Action”

(New Zealand Press Association)

WELLINGTON, Feb. 9. The chairman of the Cabinet committee on Government administration (Mr Shand) said today that the clampdown on recruitment of departmental staff was not “panic action.”

He was replying to criticism yesterday by the president of the Public Service Association (Mr W. E. B. Tucker). “Were the Government to do less than is proposed, it would be acting irresponsibly in the present circumstances,” said Mr Shand.

“This does not impose ‘unemployment and hardship on wage and salary earners.’ “It does not ‘single out’ State servants to bear an unfair share of the nation’s economic troubles.

“On the contrary, it is a statement of firm determination on the part of the Government to hold expenditure and curb any tendency to avoidable expansion in the State services, but at the

same time to maintain essential commitments and services.

‘lt will involve a review of priorities in State service activities and an even greater extension of the drive towards efficiency that has characterised the State services in recent years,” said Mr Shand.

“The effect of the instruction that has been given is to advise departments that expansion of staff in the current year will not be approved even though there is some flexibility within establishments, unless a specific case has been made out for expansion and the State Services Commission has accepted that equivalent economies in other directions are not possible. “With certain exceptions set out in the instruction, no fresh appointments are to be made except for the purpose of replacing retiring staff, until a review has been completed and the staff ceiling for the current year has been approved,” said Mr Shand.