The country's top public servant has directed the Public Service Association to stop handing out its "change the Government" campaign material in departments and agencies, saying it breaches expectations of political neutrality.
By Craig McCulloch of RNZ
But the union said that's an overreaction and is seeking an "urgent meeting" to make its case to the public service boss.
Public Service Commissioner Sir Brian Roche wrote to the Public Service Association (PSA) on Wednesday that he had received "a number of queries" from public servants and union delegates about the campaign.
He said the postcards were "clearly election advertising", noting they even included a promoter statement with the advertiser's name and contact details – a legal requirement for all election advertisements.
Sir Brian said, as such, sharing or displaying them in public service workplaces breached the requirement for the sector to be politically neutral at all times.
"Public servants and the public service need to be kept safe from any accusations around political neutrality," he said.
"I am disappointed that public servants have been put in the unacceptable position where they have been asked to display and distribute material clearly inconsistent with our guidance."
In an email in response, PSA national secretaries Fleur Fitzsimons and Duane Leo said they disagreed that the postcards amounted to election advertising.
"It is important that public service agencies do not over-compensate during this time and unnecessarily restrict the right of public servants and their unions to express their views," they wrote.
The union asked Roche to refrain from briefing chief executives until the two sides had met and said it was seeking further legal advice.
RNZ, however, has seen an email already sent by Sir Brian to agencies notifying them of his decision and advising leaders to act in a "reasonable, fair and proportionate manner" if they needed to remove any advertising from their workplaces.
In his initial letter to the PSA, Roche said unions could still communicate with their members outside the workplace, including by email and at union meetings, for members to consider in their own time.
He said they were not, however, allowed to display union material in areas accessible to the public, nor election advertising anywhere on the premises.
"Ultimately, New Zealanders must be able to trust that the public service serves the government of the day with equal professionalism, regardless of political persuasion," Sir Brian wrote.
"That trust depends on our workplaces remaining politically neutral."
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