New Zealand’s most recent Public Services Commissioner announced his retirement in September 2023. He retired in February 2024. The government has yet to find a replacement. Meanwhile, a quarter of its elected term has elapsed.  
 
The role of Commissioner comes with considerable power to shape the face of the public service. The Commissioner is responsible for finding and hiring candidates for the Chief Executives of the public service. The Commissioner can shuffle Chief Executives between ministries, an ability that allows those candidates to avoid an open and competitive hiring process. The Commissioner is also charged with the development of senior leadership in the public service, and the enforcement of its standards. 
 
It would not be a stretch to label the role the most powerful unelected job in Wellington. 
 
This matters because governments are elected to implement policy programmes. However, policy creation, reform, and implementation are not straightforward. Contrary to the beliefs of some, it is not as simple as a Minister issuing a directive from the Beehive. The Minister for Transport cannot fill potholes with the stroke of a pen.  
 
In reality, the delivery of policy hinges on the public service and its many ministries. At a Minister’s directive, it is public servants who are responsible for drafting, implementing, and regulating the government’s policy programme. As such, the 38 Chief Executives who sit atop these ministries wield considerable power. 
 
These are the same individuals who are hired and employed by the Commissioner.  
 
No one in Wellington would dispute that the last Public Services Commissioner left an indelible mark on our public service. For instance, previously he was Chief Executive of the Ministry for Social Development. During his time as Public Services Commissioner, nine of his former employees from the Ministry were elevated to CE-equivalent roles across the public sector.  
 
Therefore, for any government serious about enacting change, especially the current coalition government with its espoused focus on reforming the public sector, the Commissioner is a critical player.  
 
Whether this system is the best we could have, is another discussion. What matters is that it is the system we do have, and it is the system that the coalition government knew it was going to inherit. 
 
It is concerning to see that the government did not move to immediately fill the position. It is more concerning still to see the position remain vacant for close to nine months. If the coalition is serious about making change in Wellington, and throughout the nation, they must fill the role swiftly.