Public bad; private better? NZ’s race to the bottom

Successive governments have chosen to outsource an expanding range of services to communities and the public to private providers. And increasingly this is an international business, with multinational companies gaining more and more contracts in Aotearoa. Is this in the best interests of New Zealanders? And is our democracy well served by this trend? We have a highly centralised state sector – why is local government, with its community connections and local accountability, not more involved in service delivery? It seems that the private sector is the default option for central government outsourcing. The Public Service Association (PSA) represents workers on the front line of delivering services to communities and the public. Erin Polaczuk, PSA national secretary, will give an overview of the current situation and the trends, and PSA members working in home support for the elderly and in prison services under Serco will speak about their experiences.