‘Just a pause’: Ex-minister warns MPP faces uncertain future despite PM’s assurance

A former Government Minister warns that the Prime Minister’s assurance that the Ministry for Pacific Peoples (MPP) will not be merged may only be a temporary measure, amid ongoing budget cuts and staff reductions.

Aupito William Sio says there is a need for long-term commitment to protect specialist population ministries, as union officials echo this concern.

In an interview with William Terite on Pacific Mornings, Aupitio,aformer Minister for Pacific Peoples, described Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s assurance as more of a “pause” than a genuine commitment to preserving the ministry’s future.

Aupito’s comments come in response to Luxon’s earlier interview with Terite, where he ruled out merging the MPP during this term.

“I think it might be a pause, but I think it’s also timely because I think people are concerned about it, particularly from our community,” Aupito says.

“They’re wondering whether this government values Pacific peoples at all. We know that there isn’t a strong advocacy voice within this government, so I think it will buy him [Luxon] time to consider the optics of it.”

Listen to Aupito William Sio's full interview below.

Sensitive briefing papers for the Minister for the Public Service, dated March 2024, show that the commission recommends consolidating any departments with fewer than 100 staff first.

After recent budget cuts, the MPP now falls below that threshold, putting it at risk.

Since the coalition government took office, the MPP has experienced more than $60 million in budget cuts and a reduction in staff from 159 to 99 members.

The Ministry for Pacific Peoples is the principal advisor on policies and interventions that improve outcomes for Pacific Peoples. Photo./Supplied

Fleur Fitzsimons, the National Secretary of the Public Service Association (PSA), supports Aupito’s concerns. While she acknowledges that Luxon’s statement offers certainty for staff and the Pacific community, Fitzsimons warns it should not be seen as a permanent safeguard.

She also tells Terite that she hopes his statement will also apply to other small ministries, such as the Ministry for Women and the Ministry for Ethnic Communities.

“If they want to be able to make evidence-based decisions, which is what they said before the election, then they do need to have these specialist agencies that provide them that insight,” Fitzsimons says.

Responding to a question about the government’s support for better outcomes, Luxon argues that the focus should be on the frontline results, not just bureaucracy.

“I'm interested in Pacific kids being able to be better positioned to have great futures and better jobs going forward from here. I'm interested in Pacific kids being able to buy houses,” the Prime Minister says.

While acknowledging the work of the current Minister for Pacific Peoples, Dr Shane Reti, Aupito reflected on his own time in office, which saw the MPP receive multi-million-dollar investments consistently across several years.

Listen to Fleur Fitzsimons' full interview below.

Aupito says Reti’s influence has been minimal, revealing how low the ministry ranks on the current government’s agenda.

He says morale in the Pacific community is low, especially with cuts affecting the community sector.

“I made sure during my time that all the ministers around the Cabinet table, whether they were New Zealand First or Green or Labour, understood the place of Pacific peoples,” Reti says.

“We're now going back to the periods prior to the Jacinda government in terms of those significant social injustices and social inequities, and we, the community, are faced with that.

“We're always the ones having to address the folly of government policy.”