Nearly 9000 public sector jobs to go, government agencies to merge, Nicola Willis announces

Caption:Finance Minister speaks to media after making a pre-Budget announcement on the public service sector.Photo credit:RNZ / Marika KhabaziChristopher Luxon said it will be case-by-case when it comes to what and how agencies could be amalgamated.RNZ / Kim Baker WilsonFinance Minister Nicola Willis makes a pre-Budget announcement, slashing the number of public service jobs.RNZ / Marika KhabaziChris Hipkins.RNZ / Marika KhabaziFinance Minister Nicola Willis makes a pre-Budget announcement, slashing the number of public service jobs.RNZ / Marika KhabaziFinance Minister Nicola Willis and Public Service Minister Paul Goldsmith speak to media after a pre-Budget announcement.RNZ / Marika Khabazi

Someone carrying office items in a cardboard box

Composite of the Beehive, an exit sign and a person walking with briefcase

Labour Party leader Chris Hipkins in Auckland speaking to reporters after his State of Auckland speech on Thursday.

The Parliament Bill aims to legislate for more separation of powers between the legislature and the executive

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Finance Minister Nicola Willis face questions on the fuel crisis.

Christopher Luxon at the China Business Summit 2026.

Christopher Luxon speaking to business leaders on Thursday morning at the China Business Summit in Auckland.

People remain on a street following an earthquake in Caracas on June 24, 2026. A magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck Venezuela on Wednesday, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) reported, triggering panic in Caracas, according to AFP journalists. The tremor, which was followed by several aftershocks, was also felt in Colombia. (Photo by Manaure Quintero / AFP)

A handout image released on June 23, 2026 by the European Space Agency and taken on March 23, 2025 for a period of 26 hours by the Euclid’s optical camera VIS to wich the colours were added using observations captured in the summer of 2025 with the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope’s MegaCam camera (CFHT-Megacam) in Hawaii shows our Milky Way galaxy’s centre. 60 million stars, billions of visible galaxies and image quality never seen before: on June 24, 2026, the European Space Agency (ESA) unveiled the centre of the Milky Way, which should enable the identification of new exoplanets. (Photo by Handout / EUROPEAN SPACE AGENCY / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY CREDIT “AFP PHOTO / HANDOUT / EUROPEAN SPACE AGENCY” - HANDOUT - NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS