The state broadcaster and department were in the news last week over proposed measures to cut costs.
Broadcasting Minister Jonathan Coleman told the RNZ board it needed to follow strict cost-saving directives, which included taking a hard look at staffing numbers, sponsorship arrangements, studio budgets and the possibility of running advertising.
DOC said it was looking at allowing more private businesses to pay them for using its land, charging for the use of public toilets and DOC car parks, and permitting energy-creation schemes on DOC land. The Government is already looking at allowing more mining on conservation land.
Mr English told TV One's Question and Answer programme that he was disappointed with the organisations.
"Well I think what you saw last week was a bit of old style civil service politics where they wheel out something unacceptable and try and get pressure back on the Members of Parliament, and I was pretty disappointed in those organisations," he said.
"I think that's what both of those organisations were doing, and my advice to them is they can't wait this out, they are capable of being creative and flexible, and providing better value for money, and if they focused a bit more on the services and a bit less on the politics I am sure they would get ahead."
Environmentalists have criticised the plans to open up more conservation land for private use and said it would be at the expense of conservation work.
Today Labour Party foreign affairs spokesman Chris Carter said the Government had shown it was uninterested in conservation issues.
Former Prime Minister Helen Clark, who now heads the United Nations Development Programme, last week joined a chorus of opposition to changes at RNZ.
Speaking on the programme this morning Miss Clark was vocal in her opposition to allowing mining on DOC land.
She said national parks were unique and had to be preserved for future generations.
"I personally think that some things are more important than money." More initiative needed to be shown to improve research and development rather than rely on more use of exporting raw goods.
"Who wants the Martha Mine in the middle of Tongariro National Park?"
