Peter Hughes appointed State Services Commissioner

John Key has announced:

Prime Minister John Key has today announced the appointment of Peter Hughes CNZM as the next State Services Commissioner and Head of State Services.

Mr Hughes has been appointed for a five year term starting on 4 July 2016.

“I am very pleased to appoint Peter Hughes as the next State Services Commissioner and Head of State Services,” says Mr Key.

“Peter has dedicated his working life to the public service and is one of New Zealand’s most experienced and respected Public Service Chief Executives.

This is a very good appointment. Hughes is arguably the most capable chief executive in the public sector since Dame Margaret Bazley. He did a very good job running the Ministry of Social Development, and then after a brief stint at Victoria University returned to head up the Ministry of Education.

Stakeholders (including unions) say he has made a huge difference at the Ministry, as they have got far better at working with the sector and supporting the Minister.

The SSC is not seen as hugely effective at the moment. I’m one of those who has advocated that it might be better to have abolished it, and transferred its functions to DPMC. The appointment of Hughes is the best opportunity it has to regain the high respect it used to have as one of the three central co-ordinating agencies.

The only downside with the appointment of Hughes, is he will be very hard to replace in Education.