Rt Hon Winston Peters

New Zealand First Leader
12 DECEMBER 2014

Chief Exec Pay Rises Way Over the Top

Why is National allowing a poorly performing chief executive to get a pay rise bigger than many workers’ salaries, asks New Zealand First.

“States Services head Iain Rennie is on his final warning yet pockets $50,000, a 9% rise, after a major blunder around the Roger Sutton case - the head of Cera who also pocketed a big pay rise,” says New Zealand First Leader Rt Hon Winston Peters.

“Most workers would not have made the tea break, if they still had one, if they’d handled the Sutton situation the way Mr Rennie did.

“National should be ashamed that it is manipulating the release of public information. The report on state sector salaries should have been out well before Parliament rose, as it normally is.

“The Prime Minister is always claiming his government is transparent, this proves otherwise,” says Mr Peters.

“We are tired of being told state sector executives are paid less than the private sector. If they want a job in the private sector let them find one.

“Sure, those leading the state sector are entitled to be rewarded for high end decision making but let’s not forget who is paying their salary – the taxpayer.

“Many taxpayers have not had a decent pay rise in years, so the government is spitting in their faces by giving big increases to chief execs.

“This week the OECD pointed out that the gap between rich and poor in New Zealand has grown and is holding up economic development. This is exactly what the OECD is talking about.”

ENDS

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