RNZ
Cabinet has issued a new directive to create a “colourblind” public service that focuses solely on need, not race, and doesn’t prioritise Māori businesses when awarding government contracts.
Public Service Minister Nicola Willis made the announcement on Friday, which meets commitments in both ACT and New Zealand First’s coalition agreements with National.
The public service circular issued by the Cabinet Office, to prioritise need, can be read as both a rebuke and a ruling: it says the Government is concerned that public servants have been using race as proxy for need. The new policy says: no more.