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The Ministry of Pacific Peoples is the latest to face the reality of the Coalition government's cost-cutting, with staff informed of plans to slash the workforce by 40%.
Under the proposal, 63 positions out of 156 will be axed. 31 of them are already vacant.
The Public Service Association has described it as brutal and said the ministry serves an important role as a bridge between the government and Pasifika communities.
Finance Minister Nicola Willis says the agency has grown significantly in recent years and a rethink is appropriate.
Craig McCulloch reports.