Post by fyl on Oct 7, 2011 10:52:10 GMT 12
Yes, it should have been handled wayyy better, or not at all, but after what the last labour govt did.......sigh...politicians.... 
From Stuff..
www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/5748835/Labour-on-attack-over-Defence-Force-cuts
Labour is calling on the Government to release legal advice it received on the civilianisation of Defence Force jobs, saying a humiliating process could have been avoided.
The Government is converting 1500 uniformed roles to civilian ones over the next three years, under a plan to save about $30 million.
The roles being targeted are those that do not need to be performed by someone with military skills, training or experience. They include drivers, instructors, photographers, musicians and logistics and administrative staff.
About 300 staff were told in June they were no longer needed in uniform and there will be 500 fewer positions by December.
Under the 1990 Defence Act, members of the armed forces who are discharged as part of the civilianisation process cannot be transferred into civilian vacancies without the positions being advertised and appointed on merit.
Defence Minister Wayne Mapp said he had received advice on amendments to the law which would enable discharged personnel to be directly transferred into civil staff.
However, he has refused to release that advice to Fairfax NZ, saying withholding it was necessary to maintain legal professional privilege.
Labour's defence spokesman Iain Lees-Galloway said the Government had decided it was too difficult to amend the act.
"The minister told a select committee that, due to the legislative timetable, it couldn't have been done in time. Well, it could have, if they had decided to make it a priority."
Changing the law would have saved personnel from the "ignominy" of having to reapply for their job with no certainty of getting it, he said.
"If you're going to do something as devastating to an individual as take them out of uniform, the very least you can say is `we still have a job for you'."
Civilianisation had led to a fall in morale within the Defence Force, he said.
"People aren't happy about it and the thing they are most unhappy about is the way the process has been handled and the conflicting information they have received.
"They accept times have changed and maybe their role no longer needs to be a uniform one, but the way it was done left a very bad taste in their mouths and it could have all been avoided."
Fairfax NZ revealed this week the most unfit and unwilling personnel were being culled under the civilianisation process.
Papers released under the Official Information Act show specific roles were not being targeted because they may be filled by someone the Defence Force wanted to retain.
Instead, individual performances were being reviewed under criteria looking at past and future potential, health and commitment to service, including willingness to move locations.
Civilianisation has so far affected less than 5 per cent of the Defence Force's 9300 personnel.
- Stuff
From Stuff..
www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/5748835/Labour-on-attack-over-Defence-Force-cuts
Labour is calling on the Government to release legal advice it received on the civilianisation of Defence Force jobs, saying a humiliating process could have been avoided.
The Government is converting 1500 uniformed roles to civilian ones over the next three years, under a plan to save about $30 million.
The roles being targeted are those that do not need to be performed by someone with military skills, training or experience. They include drivers, instructors, photographers, musicians and logistics and administrative staff.
About 300 staff were told in June they were no longer needed in uniform and there will be 500 fewer positions by December.
Under the 1990 Defence Act, members of the armed forces who are discharged as part of the civilianisation process cannot be transferred into civilian vacancies without the positions being advertised and appointed on merit.
Defence Minister Wayne Mapp said he had received advice on amendments to the law which would enable discharged personnel to be directly transferred into civil staff.
However, he has refused to release that advice to Fairfax NZ, saying withholding it was necessary to maintain legal professional privilege.
Labour's defence spokesman Iain Lees-Galloway said the Government had decided it was too difficult to amend the act.
"The minister told a select committee that, due to the legislative timetable, it couldn't have been done in time. Well, it could have, if they had decided to make it a priority."
Changing the law would have saved personnel from the "ignominy" of having to reapply for their job with no certainty of getting it, he said.
"If you're going to do something as devastating to an individual as take them out of uniform, the very least you can say is `we still have a job for you'."
Civilianisation had led to a fall in morale within the Defence Force, he said.
"People aren't happy about it and the thing they are most unhappy about is the way the process has been handled and the conflicting information they have received.
"They accept times have changed and maybe their role no longer needs to be a uniform one, but the way it was done left a very bad taste in their mouths and it could have all been avoided."
Fairfax NZ revealed this week the most unfit and unwilling personnel were being culled under the civilianisation process.
Papers released under the Official Information Act show specific roles were not being targeted because they may be filled by someone the Defence Force wanted to retain.
Instead, individual performances were being reviewed under criteria looking at past and future potential, health and commitment to service, including willingness to move locations.
Civilianisation has so far affected less than 5 per cent of the Defence Force's 9300 personnel.
- Stuff
