Yes minister, says State Services Commissioner

Mark Prebble has let himself down in reaching unrealistic and unprincipled conclusions. Worse still, he has chosen not to defend the political independence of his public service chiefs against Ministers Benson-Pope and Anderton who were clearly seeking to direct operational decisions against a hapless individual.

It is time that Dr Prebble seriously reconsidered his position.

Good point pointer about Dr Prebble, who should go.

All political parties are tribal to some extent, but in my experience, and I think it's the conventional wisdom, Labour people tend to be way more paranoid about outsiders than the Nats. Many of them are quite distrustful of bureaucrats. I don't know why. Maybe it's a survival of their marxist pasts, time in the industrial relations trenches or personality types that are attracted to left wing politics? The Nats in Government seem to be much more congenial when it comes to outsiders. That's not to say they don't have their fair share of know-it-alls, but as a rule they are much less bitter.

Ahhhh.... like, take for example the last National government, the Jenny Shipley National Government, laurence? So harmonious, tolerant and all-embracing, wasn't it? I must say! Distrust and suspicion were everywhere... society was so divided. And yes, they are tribal... the same old faces are still there....

Let's just say it was last century and forget about it.

"Fourth term for Helen", she deserves it.

And now, Murray, back to the topic of the post...

Is it OK for a Minister to demand a public servant be sacked because of who her partner's employer is? And is it OK for the Chief Executive of a department to meekly comply with such a request, despite advice from the State Services Commission that the conflicts on interest involved were manageable?

My answer is 'no' on both counts. Benson-Pope has already gone (for lying about his actions, rather than the actions themselves), but surely Hugh Logan's position is untenable.

His staff know he won't stand up to his minister on a key principle of the public service, and the SSC know he won't take advice. Being docked his performance bonus seems a very modest punishment indeed, given his lack of leadership.

Oh, Muzza. Well done for being consistent. Will you still comment on the blogs should National win and Aunty H lose?

If she includes ministers of the calibre as Anderton and DBP with the backdrop of the EFB and Approp Bill as well as the illegitimate practices described in this post, she will get everything she deserves!

Ms Setchell's relationship is irrelevant to the whole issue. What is relevant is her professionalism. As a professional she would know not to discuss work matters with her partner in the same way that a doctor does not gossip about his patients to his wife.

Were Ms Setchell in her position unprofessional or unethical she could just as easily have damaged the Labour Minister, even were she to lead the life of a nun outside of work. It boils down to a matter of trust. Politicians time and again have demonstrated their own lack of ethics and morality in their dealings with the public. Politicians have been caught lying on numerous occasions. Politicians leak confidential information. Politicians blame others when things go wrong and take the credit when things go right. Politicians are the least trusted group in any poll on the subject. It is hardly surprising that they ascribe their own baser character defects to others.

I heard an interview with Mark Prebble by Kathryn Ryan today and to me he typifies all that is wrong with government, public service types today. He sounded smarmy and self serving. He waffled and waffled saying a lot about nothing. He sounded patronizing and self serving. Is it to hard for people today to be honest and real without resorting to spin? Man, when will see real leaders with integrity in this country?

Girl meets new job, girl loses new job, girl gets to 'reconsider her career'. Same old, same old - Ministers can do nothing wrong, especially when Ministers cannot tell right from wrong. Time they all went.

Murray....care to give us your Labour thought process on the replacement of Setchell being a Labour lackey...rather damning in my view, but I'm sure you can rationalise the appointment, being a NON POLITICAL role, and the only failings of Setchell was she was living with a National Party affiliate, methinks it's gone from one extreme to the other, can I assume when (not if) National gets into power next year and they do not renew the new appointee's contract you will cry foul?....ohhh wait, they have no say on these NON POLITICAL appointments, sorry, my mistake!