Her refusal to answer questions on the extension help fuel rumours that any moves to expand the scheme would fall victim to fiscal pressures.

Finance Minister Michael Cullen last month signalled the creation of a ministerial “razor gang” to look at areas where the government could save money, in the face of some fiscally demanding election promises and also a forecast economic downturn which is expected to hit tax revenue.

The non-core public sector has almost as many employees as the core public sector, which makes it potentially lucrative grounds for providers such as ASB, AMP, and AXA, who provide superannuation services through the SSRSS.

A working group to extend the SSRSS to areas such as the public health and tertiary education sectors was to have convened under former Council of Trade Unions’ head Angela Foulkes last month.

King yesterday refused to confirm the working group will go ahead. “The minister has nothing to say on this matter at this time,” Annette King’s press secretary John Saunders told Good Returns.

Foulkes says as far as she knew the working group is going ahead as she has not heard otherwise.

But at this stage no other members have been named to the group, which was to have convened in October.

King’s refusal to confirm the working group will go ahead appears to confirm it will at least be delayed.