Pete Hodgson

Immigration Minister Jonathon Coleman has decided to appoint a new deputy chief executive for immigration when he already has one, Labour's Immigration spokesperson Pete Hodgson says.

Today's Dominion Post carries an advertisement for the 'Deputy Chief Executive - Immigration' when the head of Immigration New Zealand took up his position only recently

"The Minister is displaying signs of panic. He inherited a department with a brand new top management already installed to sort the issues it was facing.

"However the very next time a bad report came out, he gallantly reshuffled the deck again. One wonders whether the newer than new fixt-it person will last beyond the next bit of bad news".

"The Minister's reflex action is expensive and its taxpayers who will be picking up the tab. Who knows what this new position will cost, at a time when the Government is sacking hundreds of other lesser paid civil servants."

"Further signs of panic include his stock refusal to meet any number of groups hoping to progress issues such as Pasifika children being shut out of school, or people with work permits who have been made redundant.

"He won't meet or engage on his portfolio but instead hires the next brand new person to do his job for him".

"However just as he succeeded in biffing money at a problem he has himself been biffed by the State Services Commission over his intention to have his shiny new appointment report directly to him contrary to how the public service operates and he has been told so.

"The new person will now report directly to the chief executive of the Department of Labour a person who reports not to Jonathan Coleman but directly to Minister of Labour Kate Wilkinson.

"The process of attempting to install a minder for the immigration service has been shambolic to say the least," Pete Hodgson said.