State Services Commissioner

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The State Services Commissioner is the chief executive of New Zealand's State Services Commission and has a range of responsibilities for the Public Service, the State Services and the wider state sector.[1] The position has previously been known as the Public Service Commissioner, Chairman of the Public Service Commissioner, Chairman of the State Services Commission, and Chief Commissioner of the State Services Commission. The current State Services Commissioner is Mark Prebble.

Contents

[edit] Background

At the end of the first decade of the twentieth century, New Zealand's public sector was widely considered to be inefficient and wasteful. The incoming MacKenzie administration launched the Hunt Commission on the civil service. The Hunt Commission recommended the establishment of a Board of Management under Cabinet to have 'absolute and undisputed power' in 'all matters relating to the control and management of the Service - ... appointments, salaries, promotion, suspensions, dismissals, and indeed everything affecting officers - '.

[edit] Public Service Act 1912

The Hunt Commission and its recommendations lead to the Public Service Act 1912 and the role of the Public Service Commissioner. The Act and the new Commissioner removed Ministers' direct involvement in appointments and personnel administration, separating the 'political' and 'administrative' functions, both in conduct of the Government's business and in management of the Public Service itself.

[edit] State Services Act 1962

The State Services Act 1962 replaced the Public Service Commissioner with a multi-member Commission comprising a Chairman and Commissioner. This point also marked a culture change towards a focus on political neutrality.

[edit] State Sector Act 1988

The State Sector Act 1988 reverted back to having a single State Services Commissioner, adding the position of Deputy State Services Commissioner. Ministers were granted some role in the appointments of departmental chief executives. There was some concern at the time that this would revert the system to a pre-1912 state. These fears have not materialised.

Following the Review of the Centre in 2001, the State Sector Amendment Act (No 2) 2004 and the Crown Entities Act 2004 extended the role of the Commissioner beyond the Public Service to the wider State Services (such as Crown entities, but not Crown Research Institutes), and beyond State Services to the wider state sector.[2]

[edit] Modern day

The modern State Services Commissioner's role can be seen as the synthesis between the completely independent 1912 Public Service Commissioner (who is responsible to no one, and in turn cannot guarantee the confidence of Ministers) and a hypothetical system where department heads would be politically appointed.

[edit] List of State Services Commissioners

Name Took Office Left Office Title
Donald Robertson ISO 1913 1919 Public Service Commissioner
William R. Morris CMG ISO 1920 1923 Public Service Commissioner
Paul D. N. Verschaffelt CMG 1923 1935 Public Service Commissioner
Thomas Mark 1936 1941 Public Service Commissioner
John H. Boyes CMG 1936 1938 Public Service Commissioner
John H. Boyes CMG 1941 1946 Public Service Commissioner
Richard M. Campbell CMG 1946 1953 Chairman of the Public Service Commission
George T. Bolt CMG 1953 1958 Chairman of the Public Service Commission
Leonard A. Atkinson 1958 1962 Chairman of the Public Service Commission
Leonard A. Atkinson 1963 1966 Chairman of the State Services Commission
Adrian G. Rodda CMG 1967 1970 Chairman of the State Services Commission
Ian G. Lythgoe CB 1971 1974 Chairman of the State Services Commission
Dr. Robin M. Williams CB. CBE. MA. PHD HONLLD 1975 1981 Chairman of the State Services Commission
Dr. Mervyn Probine CBE-MSC PHD (LDS) FIP FRSNZ. 1981 1985 Chairman of the State Services Commission
Dr. Roderick Deane 1985 1986 Chairman of the State Services Commission
Don Hunn CNZM 1986 1987 Chairman of the State Services Commission
Don Hunn CNZM 1988 1988 Chief Commissioner of the State Services Commission
Don Hunn CNZM 1989 1997 State Services Commissioner
Michael Wintringham 1997 2004 State Services Commissioner
Dr. Mark Prebble 2004 Present State Services Commissioner

[edit] References

  1. ^ State Services Commissioner - the Office, State Services Commission, "Last updated 28/6/2002" (appears to have been updated more recently though)
  2. ^ Role of the State Services Commissioner, State Services Commission, "Last updated 31/3/2008"

[edit] External links