1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:02,480 Speaker 1: Foreign Emergency board members getting a pay rise of up 2 00:00:02,520 --> 00:00:05,760 Speaker 1: to eighty percent this year comes as the firefighters themselves 3 00:00:05,800 --> 00:00:08,840 Speaker 1: are fighting for a pay rise. Equipment's breaking. Things that 4 00:00:08,840 --> 00:00:12,200 Speaker 1: are firefighters angry. Basically, Taxpayers Union also a bit angry. 5 00:00:12,280 --> 00:00:15,440 Speaker 1: This morning. Jordan Williams, Taxpayers Union, Executive Director of US. 6 00:00:15,400 --> 00:00:17,520 Speaker 2: Morning, Jordan, Good morning Ryan. 7 00:00:17,880 --> 00:00:20,360 Speaker 1: Now, the argument is that you need to pay board 8 00:00:20,400 --> 00:00:24,919 Speaker 1: members a decent wikit otherwise you get, you know, pay peanuts, 9 00:00:24,920 --> 00:00:25,840 Speaker 1: get monkeys. 10 00:00:26,840 --> 00:00:31,600 Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean that is true, but this really actually 11 00:00:31,640 --> 00:00:36,760 Speaker 2: just highlights what have been systematic issues with a total 12 00:00:36,800 --> 00:00:41,960 Speaker 2: failure of governance and oversight within FENS. The background of 13 00:00:42,040 --> 00:00:46,120 Speaker 2: FENDS is that the rural and urban fire services were 14 00:00:46,159 --> 00:00:49,720 Speaker 2: merged together in twenty sixteen back under Peter when Peter 15 00:00:49,840 --> 00:00:52,800 Speaker 2: Dunn was Minister. We warned at the time this has 16 00:00:52,840 --> 00:00:56,320 Speaker 2: proved to be a disaster in Australia, where they are 17 00:00:56,360 --> 00:01:00,440 Speaker 2: actually moved to dmalgamate them. Our most recent port on 18 00:01:00,480 --> 00:01:04,400 Speaker 2: this two years ago showed that the whole basis of 19 00:01:04,440 --> 00:01:08,960 Speaker 2: the amalgamation was it was to save fifty million a year. 20 00:01:09,480 --> 00:01:13,640 Speaker 2: Instead it's costing us an extra quarter of a billion 21 00:01:13,880 --> 00:01:17,880 Speaker 2: a year. We get more correspondence than any other government agent. 22 00:01:17,920 --> 00:01:22,400 Speaker 2: We're justinaying the other government agencies about failures of governance 23 00:01:22,920 --> 00:01:28,880 Speaker 2: within FENS. Clearly it has lost its community service ethos. 24 00:01:29,480 --> 00:01:31,440 Speaker 2: I can go through lots. I've got a third more 25 00:01:31,480 --> 00:01:37,360 Speaker 2: managers since FENN started, despite having only five percent more firefighters. 26 00:01:37,560 --> 00:01:42,399 Speaker 2: The point is this, you've got frontline workers desperate for 27 00:01:42,480 --> 00:01:48,680 Speaker 2: equipment that actually works, desperate for actually a fair wage, 28 00:01:48,800 --> 00:01:51,720 Speaker 2: and you have a what they would call a BS 29 00:01:51,760 --> 00:01:58,240 Speaker 2: tower management hierarchy in Wellington that is totally out of touch. 30 00:01:58,360 --> 00:02:00,920 Speaker 1: But is that is that because we're paying them? On 31 00:02:00,960 --> 00:02:03,280 Speaker 1: board member gets what twenty five grand at the moment 32 00:02:03,280 --> 00:02:05,280 Speaker 1: they well go up to forty five? I mean, is 33 00:02:05,280 --> 00:02:08,360 Speaker 1: it because of the people that you might be able 34 00:02:08,400 --> 00:02:10,280 Speaker 1: to attract with that type of remuneration. 35 00:02:11,200 --> 00:02:13,320 Speaker 2: Well, it used to be. It used to have a 36 00:02:13,360 --> 00:02:17,840 Speaker 2: real community service ethos. Unfortunately I understand that is gone. 37 00:02:18,600 --> 00:02:23,480 Speaker 2: There were quite serious allegations about toxicity within the senior 38 00:02:23,560 --> 00:02:29,000 Speaker 2: hierarchy within FENS. Their management structure has exploded. I think 39 00:02:29,080 --> 00:02:35,120 Speaker 2: last county was eight deputy chief executives. The oversight of 40 00:02:35,160 --> 00:02:37,679 Speaker 2: FENDS in terms of a value for money prospect was 41 00:02:37,720 --> 00:02:40,600 Speaker 2: actually sits not with Treasury, It sits with the IA 42 00:02:40,720 --> 00:02:44,520 Speaker 2: with Apartment in affairs. Because they're not funded through taxes, 43 00:02:44,600 --> 00:02:47,960 Speaker 2: you don't have to wrect treasury oversight. Fends is funded 44 00:02:48,040 --> 00:02:52,919 Speaker 2: through an insurance levy. The point is two things. Number One, 45 00:02:53,440 --> 00:02:57,560 Speaker 2: very clearly there is failures of government. I'm not convinced governance. 46 00:02:58,120 --> 00:03:01,359 Speaker 2: I'm not convinced. It's not good people willing to put 47 00:03:01,400 --> 00:03:06,520 Speaker 2: their hand up. It's the government's poor oversight are of 48 00:03:06,600 --> 00:03:10,440 Speaker 2: this organization. And number two is when this was going through, 49 00:03:11,080 --> 00:03:15,480 Speaker 2: one of the compromises that taxpayers were promised was a 50 00:03:15,560 --> 00:03:21,480 Speaker 2: post implementation review of fans. We are now ten years 51 00:03:21,560 --> 00:03:24,480 Speaker 2: later and it has not happened. In fact, they hadn't 52 00:03:24,680 --> 00:03:29,080 Speaker 2: just not happened. Van Valden turned down the request to 53 00:03:29,200 --> 00:03:32,760 Speaker 2: have that post implementation review. I think that stories like 54 00:03:32,919 --> 00:03:38,960 Speaker 2: this demonstrate why we need that review, because, frankly, when 55 00:03:39,000 --> 00:03:42,160 Speaker 2: you've got the you know, the firefighting union which is 56 00:03:42,280 --> 00:03:45,320 Speaker 2: one of the more militant ones, and the taxpayers union 57 00:03:45,320 --> 00:03:50,840 Speaker 2: agreeing there is major problems here, that there might. 58 00:03:50,720 --> 00:03:52,920 Speaker 1: Be something's got to be wrong. Jordan, appreciate your time 59 00:03:52,960 --> 00:03:56,480 Speaker 1: this morning. Thank you, Jordan Williams. Taxpayers for more from 60 00:03:56,480 --> 00:03:59,600 Speaker 1: early edition with Ryan Bridge, listen live to news Talk 61 00:03:59,680 --> 00:04:03,040 Speaker 1: said be from five am weekdays, or follow the podcast 62 00:04:03,080 --> 00:04:03,960 Speaker 1: on iHeartRadio.