Hicks moots P.S.A., Lab. affiliation

Press, 17 June 1988, Page 8

Hicks moots P.S.A., Lab. affiliation

PA Wellington The Public Service Association’s president, Mr Colin Hicks, is calling for debate oh whether the organisation should abandon its traditional independence and affiliate with the Labour Party. Mr Hicks said the Government’s State Sector Act had radically altered the Public Service. The loss of a unified Public Service, the undermining of its non-political career basis, and the passing of Ministerial responsibility because of the new relationships set up between Government and the departments meant the original aims and objectives of the P.S.A. had “a hollow ring.”

Mr Hicks said when the P.S.A. was set up rules were included preventing the organisation affiliating with any political group. This was because of the role of its members in working for the Government. “Under the current circumstances, it could be conjectured, and rightly conjectured, that these sort of constraints on the organisation are outdated.” Mr Hicks said he was not saying he necessarily supported affiliation. In fact, he said, he still stood by comments made before the last election that the P.S.A.

know what the Labour Party stood for any more. But the debate had to be opened up and somebody had to start it. Mr Hicks said while the P.S.A. still did not know what the Labour Party stood for any more, if changes were to be made they had to be made from within the party. “You can’t change an organisation from outside." Mr Hicks said that the Minister of State Services, Mr Prebble (now involved in arguments in his electorate over alleged union take-overs of his electorate organisation) was wound up over union influence in the Labour Party.

"I don’t mind feeding his paranoia if I can.”