NZ First says its winning the war on "woke" diversity in government
New Zealand First leader Winston Peters. (Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
The party has been campaigning against what it describes as "woke" hiring practices and diversity in government jobs.
The New Zealand First says the fight it has been raging against diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in public service is showing results.
Public service minister Judith Collins announced on February 3 a new 'Code of Conduct for the Public Sector', which would deliver on the expectations of New Zealanders that "the people that serve them act with the highest integrity, accountability and professionalism".
The code replaces the current version of a similar framework and comes into effect next month. It lays out 21 standards of integrity and conduct for public servants. One of these is titled 'Merit-based appointments'.
It states, "We are fair and robust in our recruitment and selection processes and must give preference to the person who is best suited to the position."
On its official Facebook page, New Zealand First posted on Tuesday that this change shows the pressure they have been exerting on the government has worked. The party has been campaigning against a provision in the Public Service Act 2020 that it believes promotes "woke" hiring practices and diversity.
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Section 75 of the legislation requires chief executives and boards of public service agencies to promote diversity and inclusiveness. "A chief executive...must be guided by the principle that the group comprising all public service employees should reflect the makeup of society..." it states.
It isn't clear how the new code of conduct would impact this DEI framework mandated by the Public Service Act 2020. Minister Collins' announcement on Tuesday didn't make any mention of this.
In March 2025, New Zealand First submitted its “Repeal of Diversity and Inclusiveness Requirements Bill” as a private member’s bill. That meant it would only be debated in Parliament if it got the luck of the draw and was pulled from “the biscuit tin”.
The bill sought to remove mentions of diversity in the Public Service Act. Even though the member's bill wasn't on the government's agenda then, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon indicated he supported some of its ideas.
“What I’d say to you is, we have a piece of work under way around the Public Service Act. Judith Collins is the minister working with the new public service commissioner... We will make sure and ensure it is a meritocracy - that is absolutely critical," he said.
When was asked if he was aware of any example where hiring hadn’t been skills-based, he replied: “No, I’m not going to do that.”
