Gilmore Aaron: State Sector Amendment Bill Public Finance Amendment Bill (No 2) Crown Entities Amendment Bill — Third ReadingsText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeGilmore Aaron: State Sector Amendment Bill Public Finance Amendment Bill (No 2) Crown Entities Amendment Bill — Third Readings[Sitting date: 10 July 2013. Volume:692;Page:11938. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]State Sector Amendment BillPublic Finance Amendment Bill (No 2)PAUL FOSTER-BELL (National):I rise to take a call on the third reading of the legislation arising from the State Sector and Public Finance Reform Bill—the State Sector Amendment Bill the Public Finance Amendment Bill (No 2) and the Crown Entities Amendment Bill. I would like to start by congratulating the Minister of State Services the Hon Dr Jonathan Coleman who introduced the State Sector and Public Finance Reform Bill to the House.I want to respond to some comments made by an earlier speaker. I have to agree actually with some of the things that Mr Goff said about New Zealand having a very good Public Service. In fact our Public Service I would argue is the envy of the world. It certainly would be the envy of those Middle Eastern countries that I have spent some time in.I want to congratulate the Opposition on changing its position on this legislation to one of support for it but I do want to reject some of Mr Goff’s characterisations particularly of the foreign affairs ministry. Mr Goff was a good Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade for New Zealand but we have to remember that that was 8 years ago. Eight weeks ago I was serving in that ministry and I have to say that public servants are working very very hard in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. They are delivering well on the Government’s priorities. We have seen just this week free-trade agreement negotiations with Chinese-Taipei concluded. Trade is up with the Gulf States. The Government is working on opening a new mission in Africa to support our UN Security Council bid and every week every month we are making progress in that campaign to win the seat that New Zealand deserves to hold on the UN Security Council. I would utterly reject the characterisation of a demoralised ministry that is not producing results because that is not correct.These proposed changes to the State Sector Act strengthen the State Services Commissioner’s role in leading the State sector. They also extend chief executives’ responsibilities to considering the collective interests of the entire Government and longer-term sustainability rather than focusing on single Government departments and agencies. This is a very positive measure as it will help I think reduce the degree of silo-isation that currently exists in the State sector and it will ensure that the State Sector Act is modern and generally fit for purpose.I also want to reject a suggestion made by the previous Green speaker Denise Roche that I think is utterly wrong and that is claiming that provisions for public servants are being eroded. A key provision of the State Sector Amendment Bill is ensuring that in cases of redundancy where the public servant moves on the next working day to a job that is comparable in its duties and responsibilities public servants do not receive redundancy. This is not actually a reduction in the terms and conditions of that public servant because they will transition into that new role and carry on with those terms and conditions.I have absolutely no hesitation in commending this legislation to the House.