Asia & Pacific

New Zealand First Party Introduces Bill to Try End DEI Hiring Policies in Public Service

‘Appointments in the public service should not be based on ’forced woke Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion targets,'' NZ’s Deputy PM Winston Peters says.
New Zealand First Party Introduces Bill to Try End DEI Hiring Policies in Public Service
New Zealanders gather during budget day 2024 at Parliament on May 30, 2024 in Wellington, New Zealand. Photo by Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images
Rex Widerstrom
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One of the three parties that make up New Zealand’s coalition government has introduced a Private Members Bill aimed at removing “forced, woke, ‘Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion’ targets” in public service hiring policies.

At present, the Public Service Act, passed in 2020, requires government departments and agencies to actively work towards a workforce that “reflects the diversity of New Zealand.”

Rex Widerstrom
Rex Widerstrom
Author
Rex Widerstrom is a New Zealand-based reporter with over 40 years of experience in media, including radio and print. He is currently a presenter for Hutt Radio.