A politically neutral public service is one of the basics of our constitution. The public service is not a tool for the promotion of the government of the day, but a tool to provide professional advice to them
and their successors. We take this so seriously that advertising campaigns promoting policy are seen as dubious, and the idea of a government department openly endorsing a particular party or politician is utterly beyond the pale. So why the hell is CERA
using its social media feeds to pimp John Key and the National Party?
And this isn't the only time. Their
Twitter and
Facebook pages are full of it. You'd almost get the impression that they were working towards Key's re-election, rather than for the people of Christchurch...
While I expect public agencies to promote relevant statements by their Minister, they should do so in a neutral fashion. And they should not be posting or disseminating politically branded material under government imprimatur.