GUEST BLOG: Willie Jackson – Freezing MP wages was the right thing to do

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The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment have just published their assessment of Jacinda’s decision last year to not go ahead with the annual MP pay rise. It saved the taxpayer $750 000, but beyond the saving, Jacinda’s decision last August to put a freeze on all MPs salaries was the right thing to do.

When we have so many Kiwis struggling to make ends meet on low wages and benefits, the idea of agreeing to politicians automatically gaining a 3% pay rise was wrong. The decision to freeze all MPs wage rises shows the values of this Government and who we are striving to be as leaders and representatives.

I’m proud to be a Minister in a Government where we are prepared to walk the walk as well as talk the talk.

 

Willie Jackson is the Minister for Employment 

12 COMMENTS

  1. Lead from the front, channel what you don’t need to get by to those in need & shame the rest of your greedy, overpaid mob to do the same. To most of the great unwashed the standing of your dodgy profession is rat shit, so action’s like this would certainly contribute to rectifying this matter. It would need to be heaps more than a miserly 3% though.

  2. Morally, it was the right thing to do. Freeze the MPs wages. It did send a message and indicate a position. I hope they keep following through. Materially, for the 70% of taxpayers/citizens/people struggling to meet the costs of living, it makes no difference. Many of us are struggling to survive, to pay the bills, to eat, to have somewhere to live. Why should those who have enough get even more when so many don’t even have enough? Something is wrong with our economy when the government is paying moteliers to house renters and home owners are air b’n’b-ing their homes to tourists. Something is wrong with our economy when 70% of workers are struggling to meet the costs of living. Either wages need to rise significantly, or costs of living have to come down significantly.

  3. “Freezing” their salaries is a meaningless gesture designed to fool dummies into believing that Govt is “on your side”, when nothing could be further than the truth.
    Doesn’t matter who is in – the longterm negative changes to societal wellbeing since the 1980’s PROVE that “Govt” does NOT serve the people’s interests AT ALL.

    • agree with what you say – but they are promising a budget to address all those issues…so really..jury has to be out until then…

      then- if they don’t deliver – unleash the hounds…

  4. A good start, but start must be the operative.
    “Until you change the way Money works you
    change nothing,”- Michael C. Ruppert.

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