David

PARKER

Spokesperson for Finance

21 February 2013 MEDIA STATEMENT

AUS-NZ Wage Gap Now $180, More Than A Kiwi’s Daily Pay

How To Work A Four-Day Week? Move To Australia

The wage gap with Australia is now so large that Kiwis across the ditch earn a New Zealander’s weekly pay in just four days, says Labour’s Finance spokesperson David Parker

“The median weekly wage gap with Australia has ballooned by $60 to $180 per week under John Key’s leadership, despite National’s promise to close the gap.

“In Australia the median wage is $1067, in New Zealand it’s $887, according to the latest statistics[1]. To make up the difference Kiwis need to work another full day and another hour on top of that. It’s no surprise 182,000 Kiwis have left under National.

“Kiwis who left for Australia only need to work a four day week to get what they were earning here. What a luxury. Of course they are leaving in droves, with a record 54,000 buying a one-way ticket last year.

“John Key told all New Zealanders that a fundamental purpose of his Government would be, ‘to narrow the wage gap between ourselves and Australia, and to grow local wages in New Zealand.’

“National made a promise it can’t fulfil, it’s time they admitted they broke their word to New Zealanders.

“National’s policies aren’t working. There is a better way, a Labour way. Kiwis want a hands-on government that is willing to roll up its sleeves. Labour has a vision of a high-tech, high-growth and high-wage New Zealand. We will take the steps necessary to make that happen,” said David Parker.

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[1] Purchasing power parity, Statistics New Zealand, Australia Bureau of Statistics and OECD.

ENDS

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"Unlawful, Unjustified And Unreasonable": Report Into Urewera Raids Finds Police Acted Unlawfully

Independent Police Conduct Authority Chair Judge Sir David Carruthers said today that the decision by the then Commissioner of Police to undertake the operation in Ruatoki Valley and elsewhere on 15 October 2007 was reasonable and justified.

“However, the road blocks established by Police at Ruatoki and Taneatua were unlawful, unjustified and unreasonable... Police had no legal basis for stopping and searching vehicles or photographing drivers or passengers,” he said...

The report also showed that the detention of the occupants at five properties examined by the Authority was unlawful and unreasonable. More>>