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Good morning

Thank you for the opportunity to open the GOVIS conference.

The events that took place on September 11 shocked the world. In New Zealand we watched from afar as American emergency services swung into action to deal with the horrific crisis and its aftermath.

Roughly a year ago, in one of my first major speeches as Minister of State Services, I outlined the three key questions we faced in State sector management - the three things that the new Government proposed to address in order to improve the system.

I would like to thank the PSA for its contribution over the last 14 months to the productive environment that has underpinned the Partnership for Quality and the tripartite forum of Ministers, departmental CEs, and the PSA.

Thank you for coming. We are busy people, but the time put into getting a clear and accepted direction for border management is well spent. I hope you leave knowing Government understands your needs.

Let me start by thanking our hosts and the people of Hawaii for inviting us all to beautiful Honolulu. On behalf of my delegation, I extend our appreciation for the excellent organisation of this meeting. New Zealand would like to take this opportunity to welcome the Republic of Turkmenistan as the Bank's newest member.

Thank you for the invitation to speak to you today. I’ve taken a look over the programme for the conference, and I think you have a very interesting and topical two days ahead of you.

I'm going to start off by re-iterating our objectives for a strong state sector that responds to the groups and individuals which it serves and to those who serve in it.

I should start by outlining the raison d'etre for the State sector. That is, what this Government thinks is the purpose of a professional, non-partisan bureaucracy like the one we have in New Zealand.

When I became Minister of State Services, the expectations on the new Government's within this portfolio were huge.

There has been a significant change of direction for the public service.

Perhaps more relevant to today's forum, governments did not work in partnership with any union.
But times have changed. More recently, the Government has changed.

Mr Hutton, thank you for your Board’s invitation to present the two Management Development Centre Fellowship awards.

Thank you for the opportunity to speak to you today. I've been asked to speak on Values in the Public Service and, while I am here as Minister of State Services, I'd like to first speak briefly in my role as Minister of Education.