Business of Government: All BIMs bright and bland full, corruption and more

Public Service commissioner Peter Hughes has a lot of top jobs to fill, including his own. (Image: NZME)

Wed, 07 Feb 2024

BIMs: Coded messages and delicate warningsThe release of briefings to incoming ministers, affectionately known as Bims, give a snapshot into the thinking across the public service and where the pressure points are.Bims are not what they used to be. It has been a long time since the Treasury’s Bim in 1984 set out a radical overhaul of economic management, which the Lange/Douglas government largely embraced.Over the years, the documents have become a bland shade of vanilla, just outlining general issues with crucial material redacted or fla...

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