ACT’s smaller public service policy

ACT has released a policy which is:

• Consolidate New Zealand’s 43 departments into 19, grouped around real policy domains so one department owns an outcome instead of several sharing it.
• Consolidate 78 portfolios into 18 ministers
• Let ministers appoint their departmental chief executives for a fixed term for a fixed term, renewable once, with clear protections for officials

I’m a big fan of this policy. I would go even further and consolidate into 12 departments and have 12 Cabinet Ministers.