63% more for Paula Bennett at Pharmac? She’s better funded than cancer!
Pharmac chairwoman Paula Bennett gets 63% pay increase approved by David Seymour
David Seymour is standing by his decision to sign off a 63.2% pay rise for Pharmac chairwoman Paula Bennett.
Bennett, a former National Party Cabinet Minister and Deputy Prime Minister, is set to see her pay rise from $66,000 a year to $104,360 a year, backdated to September 2025.
The Ministry of Health confirmed the decision was approved by Seymour, the Associate Health Minister, in his capacity as the minister in charge of the drug-buying agency.
Seymour said he had compared the fees for the agency’s board with those of similar organisations in the private sector and found the Pharmac role was paid a third of what similar chairs in private firms were receiving.
“With this increase, the Pharmac chair will be paid half as much as a similar chair of a private company. It is important we get good people running critical organisations like Pharmac. I think we’ve struck a good balance here,” Seymour said.
NZ Herald
More for Paula?
MORE?
Why is she in this role other than to privatise it by stealth?
After the terrible crimes this woman has caused the poor over her political career, why the fuck should she get 1 cent more?
Girlfriend is better funded than cancer and twice as toxic.
I’m surprised that she ever took on the job, isn’t she part of the ‘sorted’ brigade. Both the major parties have put their ex MPs in trough. None of this should be happening. And don’t tell me our talent pool isn’t big enough, a complete nonsense.
I don’t have an issue with the fee, but I do have an issue with who it is for. Paula Bennett? You have to be joking.
The hypocrisy of this this Government and Seymour is astounding!
Totally agree.
How much Increase did Pharmac get in the budget over the $75 million previously budgeted over 4 years ( $600 million total).
I Guarantee they got nothing.
Yet she gets a 63% payrise disgusting when there is 464 meds waiting to be funded and 287 of them haven’t even started the funding process with 94 being on the options waiting for the dosh to fund them.