MANA MEDIA RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MANA LEADER HONE HARAWIRA

17 November 2011

MANA SAYS MP's PAY RISE SICKENING
– DONATE YOUR RAISE TO THE POOR

MANA leader Hone Harawira says news that MP's have been awarded a 5% pay increase including a $5000 Christmas bonus has left him feeling sick in the stomach.

Harawira says to see backbenchers getting an extra $7000 a year and the Prime
Minister $11,000 must just leave those struggling totally despondent.

“I think of the thousands of people living in Te Tai Tokerau who struggle to pay their power bill, who can’t give their children a decent meal and who have no hope of saving for a deposit for a home.

“To accept this pay rise at a time when the poor of New Zealand are in financial strife as a result of the government's ‘take from the poor for the rich’ policies is a real kick in the guts for those who are struggling”.

"I will be donating my increase to one of the many voluntary organizations in my electorate of Te Tai Tokerau trying to help the poor the government has deserted and I call on all politicians to make a similar gesture”.

"When I called for everyone earning $30,000 a year to be given a one-off Christmas bonus, all the other politicians were silent.

“Those whose heads weren't completely in the sand knew how New Zealanders, struggling from the GST increase to fund national's tax gift to the rich, desperately needed it but weren't brave enough to back the call”.

"Now there can be no excuse for politicians whose pay rise has been back dated six months continuing to turn their backs on the needy."

Mr Harawira says it also makes a mockery of those MP's rejecting the minimum wage being immediately upped to $15 an hour.

"Politicians from the other parties who claim workers aren't worth a minimum of $15 an hour should be ashamed of themselves when they accept that they are going to be paid close to $70 an hour.

“The Prime Minister will be receiving close to $200 an hour and yet he has only offered a 25 cents pay rise to those who need the money the most”.

"It stinks and all I can say to those who I know are hurting is stop putting your hopes in those who have continued to let you down. MANA is the only party standing up for you. We have the team to represent you in the next Parliament but we need your party vote to do so."

Harawira says he cannot think of any more sickening news than this for the poor as Christmas approaches.

ENDS

© Scoop Media