Politics Blog - from 19 May, 2026
The public service can't be 'an '80s relic', Willis says
Finance Minister Nicola Willis and Prime Minister Christopher Luxon. Stuff
Finance Minister Nicola Willis says her plan to save $2.4 billion over the next four years by instructing government departments to replace staff with AI, shaving the public service from 1.2% of the population to 1%, is a move that reflects modern day realities.
"We are having to come up to 2026, and prepare for 2036," she told NZME. "We can't have the public service living in an '80s relic, we need it to be using modern tools, modern systems, so that the very smart people who work in the public service can use their time to its best effect."
Willis said there were many "mundane tasks" that could be automated. "We'll need people on the front line," she said, "but if we can support them with better digital tools and with AI - that's the right thing to do."
Payroll, HR, administrative functions and responding to Official Information Act requests were highlighted by the minister as tasks that could be partially offloaded to artificial intelligence.
She said money saved by the cuts could be better directed towards other departments, and dismissed criticism from Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick that the coalition was embracing "an age of Government GPT".
"We are having to come up to 2026, and prepare for 2036," she told NZME. "We can't have the public service living in an '80s relic, we need it to be using modern tools, modern systems, so that the very smart people who work in the public service can use their time to its best effect."
Willis said there were many "mundane tasks" that could be automated. "We'll need people on the front line," she said, "but if we can support them with better digital tools and with AI - that's the right thing to do."
Payroll, HR, administrative functions and responding to Official Information Act requests were highlighted by the minister as tasks that could be partially offloaded to artificial intelligence.
She said money saved by the cuts could be better directed towards other departments, and dismissed criticism from Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick that the coalition was embracing "an age of Government GPT".