Steven Joyce's white whale empire surfaces

Steven Joyce’s bureaucratic white whale empire has surfaced with the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Empire (MoBIE) starting its first business day tomorrow, says Labour’s Economic Development Spokesperson David Cunliffe.

“MoBIE muddles together the diverse responsibilities and cultures of the Ministry of Economic Development, the Ministry of Science and Innovation, the Department of Labour (including Immigration New Zealand), and the Department of Building and Housing.

“Research shows that even the best-planned mergers usually fail. MoBIE is the least-planned merger conceivable.

“No redundancy, IT or other costs have been calculated. People doing effectively the same job are on different employment agreements, so there’s no equity for staff. Zero operational structures or plans have been finalised. It’s day one tomorrow and it’s a car crash.

“The work which the constituent parts of MoBIE do is actually crucial for New Zealand’s economic wellbeing. Now, instead of focusing on their core purposes, MoBIE departments will be burning taxpayers’ money on frivolity like new signs for the carparks.

“The Ministry of Science and Innovation’s new brand identity cost a fifth of MoBIE Minister Steven Joyce’s recent cuts to support for earthquake-hit business in Christchurch. Now another wasteful rebranding is about to start for effectively zero purpose.

"The Finance Minister himself has quite publicly harpooned Joyce's MoBIE budget plan for needing clearer prioritisation, more quantification and discussion of cost pressures, and greater discussion of how these cost pressures will be met.

“On this occasion Bill English is correct because the entire due diligence for MoBIE was a lightweight farce designed to legitimise a purely political decision.

"MoBIE is fundamentally about keeping power for the Prime Minister's faction. Steven Joyce is John Key’s numbers man and now he’s been rewarded with a bureaucratic empire. It’s outrageous that taxpayers will pay for this bottomless pit,” said David Cunliffe.