Which jobs would Key cut?

• Steve Pierson
• 16 years ago
• Categories: election 2008, john key, slippery
• Tags: election 2008, john key, slippery

It’s hard to get a straight answer out of John Key, so this is probably an exercise in futility, but Key’s announcement that National would not increase the size of the core public service raises some questions that need asking. So, Mr Key:

1. Saying you would ‘get more value’ from the core public service isn’t a policy, how would you do it?
2. Would you cut any jobs, if so, which specific jobs?
3. Would you let funding for the core public service fall, after inflation and population growth, resulting in wages dropping in the public sector (and related private sector jobs, it’s a market after all), if so, by how much and how would that help ease the skill shortage?
4. If you don’t let the number of core public servants keep pace with the expanding population, how would the work they do be done: would you make the remainder work harder, if so how, or would you put those duties onto the wider public service, forcing doctors to do health department planning and police officers to write justice policy?