Life as a Minister
Audrey Young reports on part of a speech from Steven Joyce:
One of Mr Key’s closest advisers, Transport Minister and first-term MP Stephen Joyce, also spoke to Federated Farmers, telling them how hard it had been getting used to the public service when he took office a year ago.
He would hold meetings with officials sitting around the large table in his office, with reserve officials standing around the walls. When one official left the table, another would slide into his place and even finish his sentences. The officials, he said, held further meetings after their meetings with ministers in order to establish what they thought the minister had been trying to say. Sometimes Mr Joyce had come across those meetings outside his office and added his own contribution as to what he thought he had been trying to say.
Heh. I can just see Steven doing that.
November 20th, 2009 at 1:17 pm
Trouble is Joyce had no previous knowledge in his portfolio areas.
So we now have confirmed our very own Hon Jim Hacker!
November 20th, 2009 at 1:53 pm
Jim Hacker’s spine was only jelly, but at least he had one.
Joyce’s caving to the bureaucracy (especially the road safety Nazis,) has been disgraceful.
November 20th, 2009 at 1:58 pm
The same Joyce who is now investigating the possibility of raising the driving age? The minister who banned cellphones in the name of road safety? Is he an authoritarian or what?
It’s amazing how many National Party ministers with commercial and private enterprise backgrounds have changed their tune once they got to power and have been tamed by the burecrauts around them.
November 20th, 2009 at 6:29 pm
Problem; Too much money in the Govt deptments. Too many pointless discussions and Ministers with to few clues. No wonder nothing changes.
We need some kick arse fella’s in the place.
November 20th, 2009 at 7:20 pm
Funny how the unwashed public on the right doesnt realise that Ministers dont run departments. Their writ only extends to their private office. The budget of course is decided on via the CEO of the department, the minister and the Finance Minister, but only in terms of outputs. Other things they can do relate to rules and regulations and other policy areas.
Thats why the purchase advisors were so unusual, in that they were paid by the department, so were supposed to be hired by and responsible to the CEO but were in fact only accountable to the Minister.
November 20th, 2009 at 10:12 pm
He is just changing us from a nanny state to a grandad state.