Eliminating DEI appointments a step closer

ACT is celebrating the passage of Public Service Amendment Bill through its first reading in Parliament which will remove divisive DEI appointments and strip out the ideological rot embedded in the public sector.

The Bill reflects commitments made in ACT’s coalition agreement. Diversity mandates were implemented by the Labour-NZ First-Green Government.

“Taxpayers don’t care about your race or sex – they care if you can deliver them essential services,” says ACT Public Service spokesperson Todd Stephenson.

“With ACT in Government, we’re putting public servants’ focus back on solving the problem, instead of the demographics of the person solving it.

“We’ve long called out the obsession with diversity targets and virtue signalling. Now we’re cutting it out. ACT’s coalition agreement secured a commitment ‘to clarify the role of the public service, drive performance, and ensure accountability to deliver on the agenda of the government of the day,’ and this bill is delivering on it.

“The identity of the person procuring life-saving medicines, improving the education system, or responding to natural disasters doesn’t matter – so long as it's the person with the best skills and experience doing it.

“We’re proud to see more of ACT’s influence driving real change. Every New Zealander deserves to be judged on their ability and achievements, not their identity – we’re making sure that happens.”