A cup of tea with...CHRISTINE RANKIN

STILL SPARKLING, THE FORMER WIN

- Karyn Henger

Christine Rankin is the deputy mayor of TaupoÌ„, although she’s better known as the flamboyant former head of WINZ (now Work and Income). Christine, 67, had started out at the government department as a clerk and worked her way up to the top. But her exit was shrouded in controversy after she was accused of extravagant spending and a management style known as transformational leadership, which received mixed feedback.

In 2001, she lost a high-profile Employment Court case after the government opted not to renew her contract. She went on to work in local politics and served a four-year term as commissioner of then-Families Commission. The Weekly catches up with Christine about family, career and her love of big earrings.

Christine, there have been a lot of ups and downs in your career. How do you feel about it, looking back?

I’d say that I’m grateful. I’m not grateful that the career I was obsessed with and passionate about ended. But I’m grateful for all the experiences I’ve had in my life because if any one of those things hadn’t happened, I would never have understood or cared about people in the way that I did, which put me in an incredible position when it came to welfare.