National’s attack on ‘back-room’ workers in government (supposedly everyone who is not front-facing staff, although this was evidently not the case [ref]) is a symptom of how the coalition government is anti-evidence. Much of the supposed ‘back-room staff’ are researchers who develop and implement evidence based policy.
This government prioritises ideology, such as boot camps for young offenders, because it feels good and taps into thoughtless urges for revenge rather than actually fixing the problem and improving society by preventing re-offending. ‘I don’t care what you say about whether it does or doesn’t work’ – Luxon on boot camps when evidence suggests it doesn’t 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10.
This is a government which operates religiously rather than logically, and that shows in their policy and in the nasty way they speak (wet, whiny; bottom-feeders).
[https://x.com/minnieprickle/status/1808287922283860209] [https://x.com/cheap_as_infree/status/1808422204281131099] [https://x.com/NewstalkZB/status/1807915084280389729] [https://x.com/ClintVSmith/status/1808590273116844238] [https://x.com/Jandal_It/status/1808004705177510023]