Hon Grant Robertson delivers IPANZ Annual Address
Hon Grant Robertson, Minister of Finance, speech to the Institute of Public Administration New Zealand (IPANZ) – 15 February 2018:
Thank you very much for the invitation to speak today. At the outset I want to make a special acknowledgement to the public servants who are here today. Over the last 112 days the new Government has asked a great deal from you.
It’s an understatement to say our 100 Day Plan was ambitious. The fact that we were able to tick off those policies and introduce the legislation which we did in that timeframe is testament to many of you in this room, and many others in Ministries and agencies.
To look at what we have done from the perspective of the public service in a period of three months we:
- created two brand new benefits (Best Start and the Winter Energy Payment) as part of a $5.5 billion Families Package
- changed the enrolment and registration process for training and education for tens of thousands of trainees and students with the introduction the first year of our fees free training and education programme.
- created an entirely new government body in the form of the Pike River Recovery Agency
- established a Royal Commission into Abuse in State Care and an inquiry into mental health
- initiated a review of monetary policy and a working group to overhaul the tax system. And much more besides.
From my personal perspective that we were able to produce a mini-Budget seven weeks in from taking office, with all of the 100 Day Plan policies costed and incorporated into the Half-Year accounts, was an amazing feat.