EDITORIAL:

If you listened yesterday, you heard it coming.  

We knew the Government was preparing to swing the axe again through the public service.  

What we didn’t know was just how deep the cuts were going to be. 

Now we know. 

Nearly 9,000 public sector jobs gone by 2029.  

A 14 percent reduction.  

Public service numbers down from just over 63,000 to around 55,000.  

Government departments merged.  

AI and digital tools replacing roles.  

Nicola Willis says it’ll save $2.4 billion.  

David Seymour says it’s “just what the doctor ordered.”  

The Greens are calling it New Zealand’s version of DOGE. 

And Wellington? Wellington wakes up this morning feeling like it’s gone another round in the ring with Muhammad Ali. 

Bang. Bang. Bang. 

In quick succession. 

No time to recover. No time to breathe. No chance to get back on your feet before the next hit comes. 

But here’s what really struck me out of all this news: 

If anyone thinks it’s strange the Government is doing this before next week’s Budget — think about it for a second. 

This is the soft blow before the big blow comes. 

This is the mowing of the lawn before they land the plane. 

Governments don’t soften people up before good news.  

They soften people up before harder news.  

And maybe the reality is the Budget next week is going to be tougher than many Wellingtonians are ready for. 

Now look — I’m not going to sit here this morning and pretend the public service was never going to change.  

It grew massively after COVID.  

Technology and AI are changing every industry in the world.  

Every sector is having to adapt. Everyone has to. 

But what worries me is this city’s confidence. 

Because every time one of these announcements lands, spending stops instantly.  

People stop buying coffees. Stop going out for dinner. Stop booking weekends away. Stop replacing clothes. Stop taking risks. 

And Wellington businesses feel it immediately. 

But at some point, we’ve got to stop sitting around asking what Wellington used to be — and start asking what Wellington is going to become. 

Because if the old model of Wellington being powered almost entirely by government jobs is changing, what’s the new model? 

How do we fix Wellington? 

Seriously. 

Do we double down on hospitality, events and culture? Do we become the creative capital again?  

The tech capital? The startup capital? 

Do we back tourism harder?  

Do we make this city easier to invest in, easier to build in, easier to open businesses in?  

Do we stop fighting growth and actually encourage it? 

Do we make it easier to do business in Wellington? 

Because sitting around waiting for another ministry to lease another office floor on The Terrace probably isn’t the future anymore. 

And I know this is a shock for a lot of people this morning. I genuinely do. There’ll be families scared about mortgages, jobs, rents and what comes next. 

But Wellington cannot afford to become a city that only talks about decline. 

At some point we’ve got to shrug our shoulders, get on with it, and work out how we and this city succeed again. 

What the hell do we do to make Wellington great again?  

LISTEN ABOVE