Former chief executive Chappie Te Kani resigned in early April after going on medical leave in September to undergo surgery. At the time, Te Kani was expected to return to work by the end of last year.
In an internal email sent to staff seen by RNZ on April 4, Te Kani said the choice to resign was not easy, but it was the right one for him, his whānau, and for Oranga Tamariki.
Former justice and defence secretary Andrew Bridgman had been acting chief executive with Te Kani on leave and he has continued in that role since April.
Now seven weeks on, a Public Service Commission spokesman confirmed Bridgman remained in an acting capacity and attempts to select a new chief executive hadn’t begun.
“As the employer, the Public Service Commissioner [Brian Roche] is yet to decide on the appointment process and its timing.”
The commission’s statement didn’t provide a reason for the delay.
Public Service Commissioner Sir Brian Roche is yet to make decisions about the appointment process. Photo / Mark Mitchell
It’s understood choosing a new chief executive required assessing the role’s job description, which then had to be signed off by Cabinet.
The process could take several months, according to one source.
Neither Oranga Tamariki nor Children’s Minister Karen Chhour offered comment on the delay.
Labour Party children’s spokeswoman Willow-Jean Prime said the apparent lack of urgency to select a permanent chief executive was “concerning”.
“We’ve just had the Auditor-General recently express great concerns around the pressures Oranga Tamariki is under to deliver on Karen Chhour’s rash orders,” she said.
“It’s important to appoint a chief executive to give the ministry some long-term direction in their mahi with vulnerable children - something Minister Chhour has failed to give them.”
Last week, a report from Auditor-General John Ryan condemned Oranga Tamariki’s decision-making in contracting social services, saying the agency’s processes “were not adequately informed by evidence or an understanding of how decisions would affect children and their families”.
“Given that this is the core role of Oranga Tamariki, it is unacceptable for it to be in this situation.”
The watchdog also said Oranga Tamariki was “slow in, or resistant to, acknowledging responsibility for errors” and some public statements “appeared to blame providers for a situation that was fundamentally its responsibility”.
In a statement, Bridgman said the agency accepted the findings and it had “already made significant changes to address the issues the Auditor-General now outlines”.
Adam Pearse is the Deputy Political Editor and part of the NZ Herald’s Press Gallery team based at Parliament in Wellington. He has worked for NZME since 2018, reporting for the Northern Advocate in Whangārei and the Herald in Auckland.
