McCarten scathing on public service

Matt McCarten has written a scathing column on the double standard that senior public servants seem to enjoy, compared to ordinary workers. His complaints:

• Rickards remaining on full pay for over three years, and getting a new car to boot, and then finally possibly a golden handshake
• Mallards slugs an opponent, keeps his job, arguably gets a promotion and is placed in charge of the country’s employment laws and work behaviour
• Logan and Prebble both keeps their jobs despite an unjustified sacking on their watch

His final paras:

Mind you, the above nonsense seems almost reasonable when compared to a senior cabinet minister who, when he assaults a work colleague, is put in charge of our country’s employment laws and work behaviour. The new minister’s department upholds the right of employers to dismiss their employees for taking sickies, turning up late for work, swearing, falling asleep and other such misdemeanours.

There is a parallel universe in New Zealand where our masters at the top of the taxpayer-funded food chain are paid upwards of 10 times the salary of the average worker and never get the sack no matter what they do.

George Orwell in Animal Farm, was right: some workers are more equal than others.

I have no problem with public sector heads being paid large salaries (however I will note their pay rises have been greater than those in the private sector) but there is a real issue around lack of accountability.