The Ministry of Justice has proposed to cut 175 jobs - reducing its headcount by 123. 

It is the latest public sector to do so in a sweeping series of cost-cutting restructures. 

In a statement this afternoon, the ministry said it had begun consulting with its staff on a change proposal aimed at making “significant savings”. 

A total of 178 roles would be disestablished, 67 of those currently vacant. A further 55 roles would be created. 

“This would result in a net reduction of 123 roles, almost exclusively involving staff carrying out national office functions,” said secretary for Justice Andrew Kibblewhite. 

Kibblewhite said since November, there has been a “gradual reduction” of 139 full-time equivalent roles, through actively managing vacancies. 

“Decisions on whether to fill or hold vacancies across the ministry are made on a case-by-case basis. Some of these vacancies will be disestablished through this change process. 

“At the heart of our savings decisions has been the need to deliver on our core functions and strategy. We want to keep doing the things that make the strongest contribution to strengthening people’s trust in the law of Aotearoa New Zealand,” Kibblewhite said. 

He acknowledged it has been “a difficult and uncertain time for staff across the ministry and wider public service”. 

The latest cuts come after NZME reported how leaked documents suggested the squeeze on the public sector would go well beyond the Budget. 

Agencies have been chasing cost-savings of between 6.5 and 7.5 per cent on average – some finding less and some slashing more, to strike the Government’s desired balance. 

Agencies under the latter directive are tasked with cutting more from their budgets if their staff numbers have seen a more significant increase since 2017. 

Finance Minister Nicola Willis said this week the cuts could lead to an overall loss of 3900 jobs, comprising about 2750 currently filled roles and about 1150 vacancies. 

Cuts to Environment; Ministry of Education taken to court 

Yesterday it was revealed the Ministry for the Environment’s workforce is set to be slashed by a third, meeting some criticism. 

The Public Service Association national secretary Duane Leo has hit out against the flagged cuts – arguing they made “no sense”. 

He accused the Government of “turning a blind eye” to the country’s environmental challenges, “and again ignoring the evidence of its own experts so it can fund tax cuts”. 

“The very people charged with monitoring environment standards and analysing data are also under threat in this proposal,” Leo said. 

Labour’s environment spokeswoman Rachel Brooking hit out at the cuts claiming they would undermine previous work to clean up fresh water and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. 

The pending cuts come as the Government faces criticism for the Fast-Track Approvals Bill - critics have emotively labelled some of the coalition Government’s policies as a “war on nature”. 

The Ministry of Education (MoE) is being taken to court over job cuts forced by a Government directive to reduce spending. 

A total of 755 roles are proposed to be slashed, covering people working in regional offices, the Curriculum Centre, central services, those working directly with the education sector and supporting the wider education sector workforce. 

The Public Service Association (PSA), a union representing public servants, said it had taken legal action through the Employment Relations Authority. 

“The ministry is not complying with the collective agreement requirement that it must do everything it can to find other roles for staff it is laying off,” said Duane Leo, national secretary for the PSA. 

The Ministry for Culture and Heritage offered staff voluntary redundancy in May as they announced a 17.6 per cent reduction in jobs. 

A further 836 public sector jobs were cut as part of reductions by the Ministry of Social Development (MSD) and the Department of Conservation (DOC).