<description>&lt;p&gt;While everyone counts the dollars and tries to make sense of Budget 2026 &amp;ndash; there are thousands of public servants staring down losing their jobs.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;In her pre-Budget speech, Finance Minister Nicola Willis announced plans to slash the sector by about 8,700 roles by mid-2029.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;The overhaul will also include reducing the number of government departments and increasing the use of AI.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;The Public Service Association says the changes will further decimate public services, at a time when workers are already stretched to breaking point.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;So, is this really about efficiency or is it just shrinking the&amp;nbsp;state&amp;nbsp;and hoping services will hold together?&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;Today on The Front Page,&amp;nbsp;Public Service Association national secretary Fleur Fitzsimons is with us&amp;nbsp;to talk about what happens next.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;Follow The Front Page on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;You can read more about this and other stories in the New Zealand Herald, online at nzherald.co.nz, or tune in to news bulletins across the NZME network.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;Host: Chelsea Daniels&lt;br&gt;Editor/Producer: Richard Martin&lt;br&gt;Producer: Jane Yee&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;See &lt;a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener"&gt;omnystudio.com/listener&lt;/a&gt; for privacy information.&lt;/p&gt;</description>

The Front Page

NZ Herald

Union warns of lasting damage from Budget 2026

MAY 28, 202618 MIN
The Front Page

Union warns of lasting damage from Budget 2026

MAY 28, 202618 MIN

Description

While everyone counts the dollars and tries to make sense of Budget 2026 – there are thousands of public servants staring down losing their jobs. In her pre-Budget speech, Finance Minister Nicola Willis announced plans to slash the sector by about 8,700 roles by mid-2029. The overhaul will also include reducing the number of government departments and increasing the use of AI. The Public Service Association says the changes will further decimate public services, at a time when workers are already stretched to breaking point. So, is this really about efficiency or is it just shrinking the state and hoping services will hold together?  Today on The Front Page, Public Service Association national secretary Fleur Fitzsimons is with us to talk about what happens next.  Follow The Front Page on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. You can read more about this and other stories in the New Zealand Herald, online at nzherald.co.nz, or tune in to news bulletins across the NZME network. Host: Chelsea DanielsEditor/Producer: Richard MartinProducer: Jane YeeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.