No ministerial pressure in Curran job - report

Mark Prebble. Photo / Ross Setford

State Services Commissioner Mark Prebble has found there was no ministerial direction in the appointment of Labour Party activist Clare Curran on a contract to the Ministry for the Environment.

But Dr Prebble said that while the appointment was appropriate, the ministry should have done more to maintain the necessary perception of neutrality in the public service.

The report stemmed from claims that Ms Curran was hired to be Climate Change Minister David Parker's personal watchdog in the ministry's communications unit.

Mr Parker maintained he had suggested Ms Curran's name as a possibility and denied he ever directed the ministry to hire her.

He said previously that he had known about Ms Curran's work through her company Inzight Communications.

The Curran affair followed hot on the heels of another Environment Ministry employment bungle. Madeleine Setchell lost her job after ministry chief executive Hugh Logan - who resigned from his post today - found out her partner Kevin Taylor was National leader John Key's chief press secretary.

Dr Prebble said today the appointment of Ms Curran and her work "were appropriate".

The investigation had shown "there was no ministerial direction and no inappropriate politically aligned work," he said.

- NZPA