Frontline services cut along with public sector

new-zealand-labour-party

Thu Sep 30 2010 13:00:00 GMT+1300 (New Zealand Daylight Time)

Frontline services cut along with public sector

Thursday, 30 September 2010, 1:06 pm
Press Release: New Zealand Labour Party

30 September 2010 **Media Statement
**
**Frontline services cut along with public sector jobs
**
Frontline services around the country are being cut and downgraded at the same time as the National Government is boasting of job cuts in the public sector, says Labour State Services spokesperson Grant Robertson.

“Today State Services Minister Tony Ryall released a media statement essentially gloating that under his watch more than 2000 people had lost their jobs in the public sector,” Grant Robertson said.

“Worse than gloating about job losses, Tony Ryall then went on to claim that National had reinvested consequent savings into frontline services. That is simply untrue.

“Since National came into office, thousands of elderly have had their home help scrapped, victims of rape and sexual assault have been denied access to counselling, parents have been told to prepare for cuts in the number of early childhood education teachers while at the same time the fees they pay will be increased, and thousands of people who would normally be given surgery under ACC have been dumped from their books and placed on DHB waiting lists.

“Clearly the claims that backroom cuts are funding increased frontline services are just nonsense,” Grant Robertson said.

“We know from the 1990s that where administrative support is cut, that staff who work with the public spend more time filling out forms and less time providing services.

“The cuts made by the National Government have been indiscriminate and have led to fewer frontline workers in areas like biosecurity, fisheries and the school library service, for example,” Grant Robertson said.

“Labour supports making efficiencies, but that is not what National is doing.
“New Zealand needs a strong public service that delivers quality and efficient public services. What we are getting is a visionless government which is cutting services in areas like health and education,” Grant Robertson said.

ENDS

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