ACT proposes fewer Ministers and Ministries
The Herald reports:
Act leader David Seymour is taking aim at the size of government, calling for a limit to the number of Cabinet members, scrapping or merging Government departments and abolishing ministerial portfolios, including some created by Prime Minister Christopher Luxon.
In a speech to Tauranga Business Chamber members today, Seymour proposed capping the number of ministers at 20, with no ministers outside Cabinet. There are currently 28 ministers, including eight sitting outside Cabinet.
He also supported scrapping all associate ministerial roles, aside from the associate finance ministers, of which he is one.
The proposal, which Seymour says could be Act Party policy for next year’s election, plans to abolish some of the 82 ministerial portfolios and to either cut or merge the roughly 40 Government departments.
In his speech, he mentioned several portfolios in his sights: Racing, Hospitality, Auckland, the South Island, Hunting and Fishing, the Voluntary Sector, and Space – all currently held by either National or New Zealand First ministers.
I support the direction Seymour wants to move government in, but I would go even further. In 2011 I proposed a Government of just 12 Ministers and 12 Ministries – one Minister and one CEO for each sector.
- Ministry of Internal Security – Crown Law, Corrections, SIS, Justice, SFO, Police
- Ministry for Environment – Environment, EPA, Conservation, Biosecurity
- Dept of Administrative Affairs – DIA, LINZ, Building & Housing, Customs, Stats
- Ministry for Economic Development – Labour, MAF, MED, Fisheries, MORST, Transport
- DPMC – DPMC, PSC
- Ministry of Education – Education, ERO, TEC
- Ministry of External Relations & Security – GCSB, Defence, MFAT, NZDF
- Treasury – Treasury
- Ministry for Incomes – IRD, WINZ
- Ministry of Culture – Culture & Heritage, Nat Lib, Archives, NZ on Air
- Ministry of Health – Health
- Ministry of Social Policy – Pacific Island Affairs, MSD, CYF, Youth Development, Community Sector, Senior Citizens, Families, Women’s Affairs, TPK
- Parliament – Parl Serv, Min Serv, Office of Clerk, PCO
The Speaker would be in charges of the parliamentary agency, and 12 Ministers in charges of the 12 main ministries or departments.