REVEALED: Public Servants' Risk Aversion to 'Free and Frank' Advice

The New Zealand Taxpayers' Union can reveal through an Official Information Act request that risk aversion is undermining the principle of free and frank advice within the public service.

Internal comments from the Public Service Commission's Public Service Census 2025 has shown senior leaders are becoming increasingly hesitant to provide honest, unbiased, unvarnished advice to Ministers, which is resulting in decisions based on incomplete or misrepresented facts.

Taxpayers' Union Investigations Coordinator, Rhys Hurley, said:

"New Zealand's public service has, over seven pages, shown it is afraid to give Ministers the tough advice they need. Instead of free and frank communication, we're seeing risk-averse staff tailoring advice to what they think Ministers want to hear, or what senior staff tell them to."

"Ministers are being given advice that fits their political views, rather than the facts they need to make informed decisions. This is a recipe for failure, and taxpayers will be the ones who pay the price."

"The public service must return to providing honest and independent advice. It's time to stop shaping advice to please Ministers and start presenting the truth, no matter how uncomfortable for the sake of better decision-making."