ACT Party Proposes Removing Race-Based Public Service Requirements

The ACT Party has proposed a legislative reset of the New Zealand public service to eliminate what it describes as race-based hiring and social engineering. The plan seeks to remove the good employer requirements from the Public Service Act and the Crown Entities Act, specifically targeting Section 73 of the Public Service Act. This change would remove the legal mandate for chief executives to ensure fair and proper treatment of employees and eliminate requirements for cultural or spiritual practices, such as karakia, in the workplace.

Party leader David Seymour argues that public service jobs should be awarded based on merit regardless of race. He claims that some public officials have privately reported an inability to hire qualified candidates who cannot demonstrate a sufficient commitment to Te Tiriti. The proposal would legally mandate that government services be delivered based on need rather than race and remove cultural requirements from job descriptions unless they are occupationally necessary.

The Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi has condemned the proposal. National secretary Fleur Fitzsimons characterized the plan as a destructive campaign to erode workers' rights and target Māori. Fitzsimons argued that the policy is part of a broader strategy to weaken the public service to prepare it for future privatization.