I posted about this earlier and suggested that the Government is trying to blame Child Youth and Family for its inability to handle the tsunami of social problems caused by child poverty.
The appointment of an advisory panel was evidence of this. The role of these panels is to give the impression of action and to provide justification for radical transformation of existing public services.
But they clearly come at a cost.
Paula Rebstock, the chair of the Government’s CYF review panel is being paid the eye watering amount of $2,000 a day for her work. From Radio New Zealand:
The head of the panel that is carrying out a review of Child, Youth and Family (CYF) is being paid $2000 a day by the government.
Paula Restock … will be earning almost double the maximum standard fee. Social Development Minister Anne Tolley (right) said there were ‘very few people in New Zealand with Ms Rebstock’s wealth of experience’The government had to create a special exemption to enable the payment to Paula Rebstock, which is about double the maximum standard fee.
Labour Party state services spokesman Kris Faafoi said he thought most New Zealanders would struggle to comprehend such a daily fee.
“If you walk down most main streets of New Zealand and asked people what they thought of that, they would think that would be exorbitant,” Mr Faafoi said.
“And I think it just starts to add up to the case that this government is spending money on exorbitant amounts on consultants, TV screens, doing up offices with expensive furniture, and I think it’s starting to get a little bit out of control.”
An exemption has also been granted for an international member of the panel, Duncan Dunlop, who is being paid $1500 a day.
Her cost is the equivalent daily cost of over thirteen social workers for each and every day. If only these resources were put into front line workers rather than report writers.
The primary issue is not structural, it is directly due to poverty and the lack of resources available to deal with distressing family issues. But the appointment of this highly paid panel suggests strongly that the Government is not interested in addressing the causes just shifting the blame.
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