Metiria Turei's speech to the CTU Conference

Click for big version.

Charter schools would be abolished, and the minimum wage hiked if the Green Party are part of the government after next year's election, party co-leader Metiria Turei says.

Ms Turei, in a speech to the Council of Trade Unions Conference in Wellington, said the minimum wage should go up to $15 an hour, and be sat at two thirds of the average wage, around the $18.40 mark called for by "living wage" campaigners.

The Green Party was committed to the living wage campaign, which would allow New Zealander's the “simple right to a wage that allows for a dignified life".

She said she was pleased the Labour Party had made a commitment to the living wage, but it was important to make sure that those who led the campaign from the beginning – the ones who needed the wage increase the most - be first off the block.

David Cunliffe announced to the conference yesterday that Labour intended to role the living wage out for core government employees.

This morning Ms Turei said Labour had missed the point of the living wage campaign, with those who needed the pay increase the most were not necessarily the core public sector but the contractors to the public sector like parliament's cleaners.

She said there was real sense “momentum” from unions and the progressive movement towards a change of government next year.

An overwhelming 'no' vote in the assets-sales referendum was the last thing the government wanted to end the year on, she said.

The Green Party will launch their 'No' campaign to promote the referendum on asset sales this weekend and called on the unions help rally people to take part.

She described the CTU's report on insecure work release yesterday was a “wake-up call", with hundreds and thousands of people were in vulnerable working position across all industries in New Zealand.

Click for big version.

Click for big version.

© Scoop Media