New Zealand Public Service Commissioner Rejects MBIE Chief’s Resignation

Public Service Commissioner Sir Brian Roche rejected MBIE chief executive Nic Blakeley’s first offer to resign after a parliamentary committee found the department deliberately misled lawmakers. Roche said accountability required Blakeley to correct the failures and noted that he had been only six weeks into the role when the misleading evidence was given, though that did not excuse it. The Privileges Committee found MBIE knowingly gave a false impression that its Biometric Capability Upgrade remained active but recommended no additional sanction beyond the contempt finding. Immigration Minister Erica Stanford said she currently retained confidence in Blakeley while a separate inquiry remains pending.