This morning’s Dom Post has an interesting piece previewing the Trans-Tasman ranking of government agencies.

I am somewhat sceptical of these kinds of rankings. An awful lot depends on who the panelists were who picked them. But it is interesting nonetheless.

Some of it certainly correlates with my experiences. I would lay a fair bet that Peter Hughes from MSD may well be awarded their best Chief Executive. He is a class act, who is responsive and innovative. Another agency that I think is in fact underrated is DOC. I think Al Morrison has had them running pretty well lately.

On the downside I think Education’s position reflects a Ministry really struggling with a Minister who confounds them at every turn. When I was in the PMs office we used to award a Ministry each week who put forward the most impenetrable language in a Cabinet paper. Education, ironically, often took out the award. But that was before Karen Sewell took over, and I think she has been good.

Health is definitely facing challenging times. The placement of the National Health Board inside the Ministry with Tony Ryall’s hand-p[icked guy Murray Horn running it is definitely causing confusion and unclear lines of accountability. Whoever takes over from Stephen McKernan has to accept an interfering Minister and a “fox in the hen-house.”

In any case good on TransTasman for being interested in how Ministries and Departments are being run. Its important for all of the public services we use every day.