PM sets ground rules for ministers' treatment of public servants

PM sets ground rules for ministers' treatment of public servants
Pattrick Smellie
By Pattrick Smellie Aug. 24 (BusinessDesk) - Prime Minister John Key has laid down the law about the way ministers and public servants should interact, saying ministers may not always like the advice they receive, but they must listen to it carefully, respectfully and professionally. In a speech to public sector leaders at the parliament, Key said that in return the government wants its "free and frank advice" from public servants in written form, and expects officials to be politically aware, but not politically active. Launching a ma...