Secretary for Pacific Peoples Gerardine Clifford-Lidstone answers questions before a Select Committees for the 2023 Estimates Hearings. Photo: VNP / Phil Smith
The latest Ministry for Pacific Peoples report shows the New Zealand government agency failed to meet a key target.
The Ministry gives advice to agencies and is scored on the quality of that advice each year.
The ratings for 2022/23 and 2021/22 sat just shy of 60 percent, while the one ending in June got a score of 10 percent, falling short of the 20 percent minimum standard.
A spokesperson from the Ministry argues that the scores for the last two years were done internally, which is why they vary so much from this latest independent report.
The Ministry stressed that the independent evaluator sampled ten papers from 2023/24.
"All of the papers met the Policy Quality Framework's required standard of 3 or more out of 5. The 10% figure refers to the number of papers that achieved at least 4 out of 5," an MPP spokesperson said in a statement.
It said the reviewers noted that with "a little extra polish its papers would score even higher".
The Ministry for Pacific Peoples are proposing to slash 40 percent of its staff Photo: supplied
'Abysmal'
An MP on New Zealand's opposition bench has accused the government of putting cost savings over delivering for Pacific peoples.
NZ Labour Party's social development, child poverty reduction, and Pacific peoples spokesperson, Carmel Sepuloni, said a 10 percent rating for policy advice is "abysmal".
"This is fundamental core business for the Ministry for Pacific Peoples," she said.
"They provide advice across government agencies pertaining to Pacific peoples and communities.
"That advice then informs policy decisions. If they are providing a poor level of advice, then that is something that our whole Pacific community should be worried about."
More than 50 staff have already lost their jobs in a cost saving exercise by the government.
This was described in the report as a "fiscal sustainability exercise".
After the Budget announcement, Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti said the reduction had "not been at the compromise of any of the targets or ambitions and endeavours that we have for the Ministry for Pacific People".
In the report, MPP secretary Gerardine Clifford-Lidston wrote, "We have emerged from this a tighter, more focused organisation."
When asked why advisors are necessary, Sepuloni said they are a key part of the system, providing advice which informs policy decisions the government makes.
"They are consulted on housing, health, education, welfare, work and employment of Pasifika," Sepuloni said.
"If the quality of advice coming from the Ministry for Pacific Peoples is poor, then you can imagine that our Pacific communities are going to be served poorly by the policy decisions and funding that this government makes decisions on."
An MPP spokesperson told the select committee their policy team was relatively unscathed in the last bout of job losses.
Carmel Sepuloni Photo: RNZ / Angus Dreaver
Trimming the edges
Sepuloni is "nervous" there could be more jobs on the line.
While the head of the agency said she is not actively reducing staffing numbers, she did not rule out further staffing cuts in Budget 2025 when questioned at Monday's select committee.
"The answer I got indicated that there is a very high potential for there to be more job losses at the Ministry of Pacific peoples," Sepuloni said.
Clifford-Lidstone said the team is "still working through the process for Budget 25".
Sepuloni said if it's diminished any more than what it already is, "it will be completely ineffective and unable to do the job that our Pacific community needed [it] to do".
Pakilau Manase Lua Photo: RNZ Pacific / Lydia Lewis
Where is the government getting advice from?
A Pasifika community leader based in Auckland said he has seen a drop in community engagement by the Ministry for Pacific peoples since the workforce was slashed.
Pakilau Manase Lua said things are going to get worse before they get better.
"Our communities are in distress because of the budget cuts. Health disability services have had major cuts," Pakilau said.
"The Ministry for Pacific Peoples are expected to consult communities on how this impacts them, and if there's not enough people on the ground, how are they going to engage and also report back to the government effectively?
"They're not coming down into our communities to talk about what we need. And usually, the Ministry for Pacific Peoples hold forums," Pakilau said.
David Vaeafe Photo: SPTO
The budget balance
An independent Pacific policy adviser told RNZ Pacific that marginalised communities, including Pacific peoples, are suffering in the name of a balanced budget.
David Vaeafe is not surprised at the end-of-financial-year results.
"It's like throwing a stone in a pond, you're going to get ripples; and those ripples are going to chug along and get bigger and bigger and bigger, until such time as someone can calm the waters," Vaeafe said.
He said what needs to happen is for budget cuts to stop and for funding to be put back where it's needed.
"[For] the most vulnerable, first and foremost, in our community, because they are still slipping through the cracks," Vaeafe said.