WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — New Zealand's government will lay off nearly 9,000 workers, amounting to 14% of public sector jobs, by mid-2029 as part of a bid to slash billions in spending, Finance Minister Nicola Willis said Tuesday.
Willis said her administration would also enact three consecutive years of budget cuts for most public agencies, “significantly reduce” the number of departments, and demand faster uptake of AI technology across the sector. The cutbacks would save 2.4 billion New Zealand dollars ($1.4 billion) during that period, the minister told a business audience in New Zealand's biggest city, Auckland.
Many public servants live and work in the capital city, Wellington. Their numbers would be cut to 55,000, a drop of 8,700 from December 2025 figures, Willis said.
That would reduce the number of public servants to 1% of New Zealand's population of 5.3 million people, she added, down from 1.2%.
"That’s unsustainable, it’s unaffordable and it’s out of step with international trends," she said Tuesday. The military, teachers and doctors would be among those exempt from the job losses, Willis said.
The measures would also reduce the number of government departments and agencies from the current 39 to an unspecified figure.
The layoffs won't happen right away, however, and Willis didn't detail a plan for deciding who would lose their jobs. Her center-right government, which has been in power since 2023 and campaigned then on downsizing the public sector, faces a fresh election in November.
Unions and opposition political parties decried Tuesday’s announcement.
“There is no way you can reduce that many people working for our public service without reducing front-line services,” said Labour Party and opposition leader Chris Hipkins. Duane Leo, spokesperson for the union representing thousands of public servants, said the measures were “an act of willful destruction.”
The government, led by the National Party, blames what it says was fiscal recklessness by the previous center-left administration led by Labour for growing public servant numbers, which increased from 48,000 to 63,000 during Labour's time in office. In 2018, Labour had revoked a cap on public sector jobs imposed by the last National government, saying that had prompted ballooning spending on contractors and consultants by agencies avoiding new full-time hires.
Most government agencies will have their funding trimmed by 2% in the government's budget at the end of May, Willis said. Cuts of 5% per year would follow for each of the next two years if the government was reelected.
The public sector “hasn’t been keeping pace” with advances in AI and digital technology and would be required to adopt them, Willis said.
The pledge of public sector cutbacks comes as growth in New Zealand's economy remains sluggish and Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, who sold himself as a better fiscal manager than his opponents, seeks to show evidence of economic recovery before November's vote. Luxon said Tuesday that the prospect of a more efficient public sector was “exciting.”
"The public service is not a make-work function,” he said.
FILE - New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, right, speaks to reporters at Parliament in Wellington, New Zealand, on April 21 2026. (AP Photo/Charlotte Graham-McLay, File)
FILE - New Zealand Labour Party leader Chris Hipkins speaks to reporters at Parliament in Wellington, New Zealand, April 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Charlotte Graham-McLay, File)
FILE - New Zealand Finance Minister, Nicola Willis, holds a press conference in her office at Parliament in Wellington, New Zealand, March 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Charlotte Graham-McLay, File)
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Athletics starter J.T. Ginn took a no-hitter and a one-run lead into the ninth inning Monday night.
Six pitches later, he walked off the mound with a heartbreaking loss.
Adam Frazier lined a leadoff single in the bottom of the ninth and Zach Neto followed with a two-run homer that gave the Los Angeles Angels a 2-1 victory, stunning Ginn and the A’s while snapping a six-game skid.
“Obviously a tough game," Ginn said. "Just keep your head up and keep moving forward. It’s just the nature of the game that we play. I attack the zone and I live with that.”
Frazier lined an 0-2 pitch over shortstop for a clean single, giving Los Angeles only its third baserunner. Neto then drove a 2-0 sinker to center field for his eighth home run of the season.
“Just a crazy game to play," Ginn said. "I fell behind 2-0, threw a good sinker, and he was waiting on it and put a good swing on it. So, tip your cap to him.”
Ginn (2-2) was trying for the first no-hitter in the majors since Shota Imanaga combined with two Chicago Cubs relievers for a 12-0 win over Pittsburgh on Sept. 4, 2024. The previous pitcher to throw a complete-game no-hitter was Blake Snell for the San Francisco Giants against Cincinnati on Aug. 2, 2024.
The most recent A's no-hitter was thrown by Mike Fiers in May 2019 against Cincinnati.
Ginn threw a career-high 105 pitches, 64 for strikes. He struck out 10, walked one and hit Neto with a pitch in the sixth.
The right-hander from Mississippi, who turns 27 on Wednesday, fanned all three batters in the seventh to give him 10 strikeouts — setting a career high. But he became the sixth major league pitcher since at least 1974 to allow no hits or runs in the first eight innings of a game and still take the loss. Rich Hill was the previous one, for the Los Angeles Dodgers against Pittsburgh in August 2017.
“J.T. dominated all night. For him to walk off the mound with a loss there, it hurts, obviously,” Athletics manager Mark Kotsay said. "He pitched probably the best game he’s pitched in his big league career, and to have an opportunity to get a no-hitter, and two hits later you walk off with a loss, it’s tough. I had full confidence in him going out there in that inning at 100 pitches and trying to get it done. It just didn’t work out.”
Kotsay had lefty Hogan Harris warming up in the bullpen during the ninth inning and planned to bring him in to face Mike Trout, who was on deck when the game ended. Kotsay hoped Ginn, whose sinker had been effective all night, could induce a groundball from Neto.
“Hindsight’s always 20-20,” Kotsay said. “It easily could have went the other direction.”
Pinch-hitter Lawrence Butler put the A's ahead 1-0 with an RBI single in the top of the ninth. The A's then loaded the bases before Angels reliever Chase Silseth got slugger Nick Kurtz to ground into an inning-ending double play.
“Kurtz doesn’t hit the ball on the ground a ton and they get out of that inning and momentum shifted a little bit,” Kotsay said. "It would have been nice to add on in that inning and give (Ginn) a little more cushion.”
It was the 30th career start for Ginn, who made his major league debut in August 2024.
“He did such a phenomenal job all night keeping guys off balance. His stuff was nasty. Just kind of rolling, you know, and then it’s gut-wrenching stuff in the ninth for it to end that way. It definitely sucks right now," Athletics catcher Shea Langeliers said. "Baseball will humble you in all sorts of ways. ... It’s going to be hard to flush this one.”
The Angels haven't been no-hit since Sept. 11, 1999 — the longest active streak in the majors. In that game, they lost 7-0 at Minnesota, shut down by Twins pitcher Eric Milton.
The last visiting pitcher to throw a no-hitter against the Angels in Anaheim was Rangers right-hander and Hall of Famer Burt Blyleven on Sept. 22, 1977, in a 6-0 Texas triumph.
The last A’s starting pitcher to lose a no-hitter in the ninth inning was Vida Blue against Detroit in 1976.
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Los Angeles Angels' Zach Neto (9) is greeted by teammates after hitting a walk0ff home run during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Athletics, Monday, May 18, 2026, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/William Liang)
Los Angeles Angels' Zach Neto (9) reacts after hitting a walkoff home run during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Athletics, Monday, May 18, 2026, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/William Liang)
Los Angeles Angels' Zach Neto is douced after hitting a walkoff home run during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Athletics, Monday, May 18, 2026, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/William Liang)
Athletics' Tyler Soderstrom reacts during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels, Monday, May 18, 2026, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/William Liang)
Athletics pitcher J.T. Ginn delivers during the first inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels, Monday, May 18, 2026, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/William Liang)
