Energy head to be named soon

Press, 29 October 1977, Page 4

Energy head to be named soon

PA Wellington The top job in the new Ministry of Energy is expected to be filled within the next month* according to the office of the Minister of Energy Resources, (Mr Gair).

Mr Gair is keen that the secretary' of the Ministry should have a positive hand in organising its administrative apparatus, a spokesman at the office has said.

The bill setting up the Ministry was passed by Parliament this month. The Ministry of Energy Resources, the Electricity Department, and the Mines Department have been merged under the new legislation. Originally, Mr Gair intended that the new Ministry would be functioning before the end of this year.

The spokesman said that Mr Gair had now put back the date to early 1978 because of the time taken in

passing the bill. It was not possible to appoint a secretary until this was done.

He said the Ministry would still not come into existence legally until an order was made by the executive, comprising the Cabinet and the GovernorGeneral.

More than 200 persons from New Zealand and overseas have applied for the $29,712 job. It is believed that the heads of the three departments being merged — Mr P. W. Blakely (electricity), Mr R. J. Hogg (energy resources), and Mr I. D. Dick (mines) — are among the applicants.

The Secretary of the State Services Commission (Mr T. J. Sanger) has said that most applications had come from overseas — Canada, Australia, the United States, Britain and one from France.