REVEALED: ACT's Banning Of Public Service Waiata To Save An Estimated $3.5 Million Per Year
The Taxpayers’ Union can reveal that at least 9 public service agencies are running hours of waiata and karakia practice each week.
Using a conservative estimate that just ten percent of staff at each agency participate, and applying the average public service hourly salary of $49.66 over 8,680 hours per year, the cost of this paid staff time is estimated at $67,016.17 per week, or $3,484,840.84 per year.
| Organisation | Total Staff | 10 percent | Total hours per week | Cost per week | Cost per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet | 192 | 19 | 30 minutes per week | $471.77 | $24,532.04 |
| Independent Children’s Monitor | 65 | 7 | All staff 30mins per week | $173.81 | $9,038.12 |
| Inland Revenue | 1235 | 124 | One hour per week | $6,157.84 | $320,207.68 |
| Ministry for the Environment | 798 | 80 | One hour per week | $3,972.80 | $206,585.60 |
| Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment | 5852 | 585 | 1.5 hrs per week | $43,576.65 | $2,265,985.80 |
| Ministry of Housing and Urban Development | 295 | 30 | 30 minutes per week | $744.90 | $38,734.80 |
| Ministry of Māori Development | 380 | 38 | 1 hr per week kapa haka/waiata | $1,887.08 | $98,128.16 |
| Staistics New Zealand | 1374 | 137 | One hour per week (MFE response) | $6,803.42 | $353,777.84 |
| WorkSafe NZ | 646 | 65 | One hour per week (MFE response) | $3,227.90 | $167,850.80 |
| Total: | 10,837 | 1,085 | 8 hours | $67,016.17 | $3,484,840.84 |
The ACT Party this weekend also announced policy to prohibit public service agenciesfrom initiating or resourcing cultural or spiritual practices as part of the workplace unless there is a genuine occupational reason for doing so.
Taxpayers’ Union Investigative Lead Rhys Hurley said:
"The Public Service Association might be trying to pray David Seymour away, but with costs this high, something has got to change. This is only a snapshot of a widespread problem across the public service and worth millions more of salaried hours across government as a whole."
"Whether its stories of our health service incorporating karakia into the day, the Independent Children’s Monitors forced half-hour participation for all staff, or the countless public service tip-offs we received after exposing MBIE’s three-times-a-week sing-alongs,this clearly isn’t limited to one or two agencies."
“Public servants are paid to deliver value for taxpayers. Anything else - whether it’s waiata, karakia, or any other cultural activities - should be done in their own time, just like everyone else has to.”
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