McCully’s blame game not good enough
new-zealand-labour-party
Thu Mar 22 2012 13:00:00 GMT+1300 (New Zealand Daylight Time)
McCully’s blame game not good enough
Thursday, 22 March 2012, 4:58 pm
Press Release: New Zealand Labour Party
Phil Goff
Foreign Affairs Spokesman
22 March 2012
McCully’s blame game not good enough
Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully has been around long enough to know that the buck starts and stops with him. Yet he continues to blame everyone but himself for the botched handling of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs restructuring, says Labour’s spokesperson Phil Goff.
“In his letter to his CEO today, Mr McCully has admitted that mishandling of the restructuring process has damaged the confidence, professionalism and morale of the Ministry.
“But he doesn’t accept any of the blame for this himself. He has claimed that the problem is John Allen’s responsibility, that of former Ministers, Treasury, and the State Services Commission. Anyone, it seems, but himself.
“With the damaging impact of the loss of 305 jobs becoming apparent, the Minister is struggling to find a scapegoat. Mr Allen, it seems, is apparently responsible for the proposals Mr McCully says are a bit ‘ambitious’ and a bit ‘extreme’.
“The fact is Mr McCully appointed John Allen from the private sector for the specific purpose of radically restructuring the Ministry and slashing its budget,” Phil Goff said.
“John Allen says the Government requires $40 million in cuts, which are driving the job losses. Mr McCully says it’s ‘only’ $24 million dollars.
“But why would the Ministry lie in its briefing to its own Minister?
“So far all we have seen is extra costs. Some 34 people are listed in the MFAT directory as working on his ‘change programme’. Numerous consultants have been employed. The cost of both will run into millions of dollars.
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“Bringing Heads of Mission back to New Zealand for further consultation will, according to the Minister, cost several hundred thousand dollars, a figure which seems a major underestimation.
“Changing some aspects of how the Ministry carries out its business and finding some economies are valid objectives. But this Minister has gone the wrong way about it and is determined not to accept responsibility for the way it has been mishandled,” Phil Goff said.
ENDS
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