PM stands by Rankin dress critic

By AUDREY YOUNG

Mark Prebble, who has upset some women with his criticism of how former Winz chief Christine Rankin dressed, has received a vote of confidence from his boss, the Prime Minister.

"I can say he has been an outstanding policy adviser," Helen Clark said yesterday.

"I am entirely happy with his performance as head of my department.

"As you will realise from comments I made before the election, that has come as a pleasant surprise to me."

She was referring to her criticism at the time of Dr Prebble's appointment in 1998 under former Prime Minister Jenny Shipley.

Helen Clark described the former Treasury official then as "an apostle of the New Right" and "the high priest of Rogernomics."

Asked if she would review Dr Prebble's position after the Rankin case, she said: "I don't have any cause to review it."

She described the Employment Court case as playing "like a soap opera of many episodes."

Helen Clark said she would not comment on matters before the court, but noted that Mrs Rankin had enforced a dress code on Work and Income staff.

The Prime Minister said she would like to see more women at the top of the public service, and did not think there was a "systemic problem of discrimination."