PSC review should include Ministerial Support Offices
June’s Budget document Part 1, page 112, advised of the OPSC planning to review the existing government job evaluation and remuneration system.
Commissioner Russell Thomas advised the Times on Friday morning that the Review will be taking place and that a Steering Committee has been considering appropriate terms of reference.
This review will evaluate the gaps within the current system and will also look at establishing relativities among jobs and classification levels within government which would seek to recognize and capture both local and international contexts.
The review will not include any examination of relativities and appropriate salaries for Ministerial Support Offices.
In order to establish public credibility and eliminate risk, government should extend the OPSC review to include Ministerial Support Offices.
Public credibility because Ministerial Support staff are paid by public funds.
At present there is no consistency between Ministerial Support Offices when it comes to salary levels and responsibilities. CEO salaries range from $46,000 up to around $80,000. One person not a CEO, but performing some CEO duties, is receiving around $54,000.
Ministerial Support staff are also performing duties which should be carried out by Ministry staff. That includes Cabinet submissions, Minister’s speech notes and official Ministerial letters and memos. Failure to do this could result in Heads of Ministries not being kept fully informed of developments and present an element of risk.
Ministerial Support Office CEOs appear to be appointed on the basis of political service to the Minister or the Party rather than any real ability, experience or relevant qualifications.
Ministers have developed a preference for keeping the drafting of Ministerial submissions within their offices.
Sometimes unbeknown to some Ministers, their Support Office CEOs are referring the work elsewhere because they lack the ability to action the work themselves.
In one case a Ministry employee on a salary of $25,000 was not only doing his work but also the work of the highly paid Ministerial Support Office CEO, writing Cabinet submissions.
There are many instances of this happening.
The practice will not cease until such time as experienced, qualified and knowledgeable persons are appointed by Ministers and not political favourites.
This practice of using tax payer funds to reward political supporters by employing them in jobs they are not suited for presents a risk to government in that there could arise a lack of due diligence or omission of critical details.
In New Zealand, Ministerial Office Support staff are public servants provided by Internal Affairs on a 3 year secondment. NZ Ministers may still employ their own private press secretaries and staff for their electorate offices.
Government should commission the OPSC to provide suitable guidelines for Ministers relating to staff selection, qualifications required for specific jobs, necessary experience and the appropriate salary for the job.
The reasons for a Ministerial Support Office appointment should be transparent given public funds are being used. -Charles Pitt

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