The robustness of New Zealand’s policy advisory system

Abstract

Recent legislation reforming the oversight of Oranga Tamariki and the role of the children’s commissioner was met with all but universal opposition. A key concern was that locating monitoring of the care and protection of children with a government department (and not the commissioner) was too close to ministers to ensure the level of independence required for such a function. This article suggests that the public sector policy advisory system was not robust enough to come up with the optimal policy solution when, in effect, all others said it was wrong. The case gives cause for the public sector to reflect upon the quality of its advisory function.