The PSA welcomes the Public Service Commission
undertaking an external review of its controversial Facebook
advertising campaign during October’s health
strikes.
The Public Service Commission Te Kawa Mataaho
spent public money on social media adverts targeting
striking health workers just days before the historic
industrial action on 23 October.
The external review
follows a complaint from Labour MP Camilla Belich to the
Auditor-General who said that the issue of public spending
on advertising raised significant constitutional issues
about political neutrality. See response from
Auditor-General here.
“This
review shouldn’t be necessary if the Commission had
correctly weighed how its inappropriate actions in the first
place undermined its political neutrality – it was a
damaging lapse of judgement,” said Fleur Fitzsimons,
National Secretary for the Public Service Association Te
Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi.
“A politically neutral
public service is of paramount importance in our democracy.
Using public funds to run adverts against striking workers
crossed a line and it’s pleasing the Auditor General
agrees that an external review is warranted after its
initial scrutiny of the campaign.
“This situation
could have been avoided entirely if the Commission had been
genuinely committed to good faith bargaining with health
unions rather than running public relations
campaigns.
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“The real waste here isn’t just the money
spent on these inappropriate adverts – it’s the ongoing
failure to resolve the very issues driving health workers to
strike in the first place.
“Following last week’s
latest industrial action, it’s clear these disputes remain
unresolved. The Prime Minister needs to step in now, show
leadership and direct the Commission to settle these
negotiations fairly.
“Health workers are standing up
for a properly funded public health system. New Zealanders
deserve better than a government that spends money on
adverts instead of listening to the concerns of health
workers who see a system under strain every
day.”
