Moss throws hat in the ring for permanent CE job

Gráinne Moss has applied for the permanent top job at the new Ministry for Regulation.  
Minister for Regulation David Seymour confirmed Moss, who has been the acting secretary and chief executive since March, wants to stay on.  
“We’re obliged to go through a process of interviewing candidates to make sure we satisfy ourselves and everybody that we’ve followed the law and got the best possible person. 
“Gráinne’s one of those candidates, but I’m not allowed to say that it’s her before that process is due.” 
Moss declined an interview with Newsroom on the ministry’s work so far.
The ministry has $16 million for its first year, funded in part by the disestablishment of the Productivity Commission 
It is currently accepting submissions on two sectors reviews – Early Childhood Education and Agricultural and Horticultural Products. 
Staff have also taken on the tasks of preparing Regulatory Impact Statements (previously a Treasury task), writing the new Regulatory Standards Bill, providing input on any regulatory proposals made by Ministers, providing regulatory training across the public sector and tackling smaller red tape issues such as the compliance costs for clubs under the new Incorporated Societies legislation.  
Seymour said Moss had so far done “outstandingly well” in setting up the ministry. 
But its establishment has faced recent criticism  
Figures obtained by Green Party MP Francisco Hernandez reveal the median and mean salary of employees at the new Ministry is $154,500 and $152,034. 
The 2023 median salary for a public service employees was $84,800, and the mean was $97,200. 
Finance Minister Nicola Willis who oversaw the mammoth pre-Budget public sector savings exercise said the new ministry would need to prove its value for money.  
“I’ll be measuring it by how good a job it does at reducing costs … the new ministry has to prove itself that it is going to deliver cost reductions for New Zealand.” 
When asked how long she would give it: “I think every agency needs to prove its worth every year.” 
Hernandez’ questions also revealed the ministry would eventually have 91 staff. 
During the early stages of its inception Seymour estimated it would have about 60 staff. During scrutiny week in June it had 45 staff members with “a couple dozen” more likely needed.  
Seymour said it was clear the job of taming regulation was far bigger than first anticipated.  
“The size of the problem and the amount of good that we can do has grown in that period … the idea that we just lift and shift 10 people out of the Treasury and 20 people out of the Productivity Commission, turned out to be an underestimate of how much good we can do.” 
He said the regulation ministry would more than prove its value. 
“A 2015 evaluation of the cost of regulation found it was $5 billion every year. What’s interesting about that particular report is it was done by MBIE in 2015 and it was hidden for years. The Ministry for Regulation’s unveiled that and we’re starting to get a sense of how big this regulatory problem is.  
“The idea that having 91 people out of 60-odd thousand [public servants] to cut the red tape and regulation the rest have been building up for such a long period of time, that that’s somehow wrong? Actually, I think the real challenge is, how do we expect only 91 people to take on $5 billion a year of red tape and regulation made by 60,000 other people. 
“Taking on $5 billion a year of red tape and regulation. I think that’s good value for money.” 
Moss most recently worked with the Public Service Commission on pay equity. Before that she held the position of chief executive at Oranga Tamariki and before that, was the managing director for Bupa Care Services.
Moss resigned from Oranga Tamariki one year before her five year term was due to end.
It followed Newsroom reporting of “without notice” uplifts of children, which were being used to remove many new-born Māori babies from whānau. The widespread practice was found to be unlawful after in inquiry by the Ombudsman – one of five investigations sparked by Newsroom’s reporting.
The Children’s Minister at the time, Kelvin Davis, also refused to say he had confidence in her leadership.
In resigning, Moss said the focus had shifted to her, rather than how best to improve the well-being of children.
Confirmation of the permanent appointment for the ministry’s chief executive role is expected in approximately four weeks.