Business of Government: Census censure, 40 shades of Musk, 'right-sizing' and more

Business of Government: Census censure, 40 shades of Musk, 'right-sizing' and more
Elon Musk's DOGE moves seem to be sinking into NZ's policy thinking. (Image: NZME)
Does the Census still make sense?Having claimed the scalps of two head statisticians, the national Census may now itself be heading either for the scrapheap or a radical reshaping.That follows the current head of Stats NZ, Mark Sowden’s decision to leave the post following findings of systemic failure to adequately plan for or protect personal information in the last census in 2023.The public service commissioner, Sir Brian Roche, announced Sowden’s departure at the release of a report authored by Mike Heron KC and Pania Gray into h...

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BusinessDesk's weekly roundup of public sector news, gossip and observations.

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New Employment Leave Act aims to reduce complexity
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New Employment Leave Act aims to reduce complexity

Cabinet will repeal and replace the Holidays Act 2003 with a new Employment Leave Act that is simpler and easier to understand, said Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden.“The problems with the act have been well canvassed over the years, costing billions in l...

Staff reporters 23 Sep 2025
Integrity, standing orders and if you try sometime ...
Public sector Business of Government

Integrity, standing orders and if you try sometime ...

BusinessDesk’s fortnightly round-up of public sector news, views and observations. 

Ian Llewellyn 17 Sep 2025