MEDIA RELEASE:

Freeze MPs’ Pay While Omnishambles is Fixed

12 MARCH 2015
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Speculation that Labour and the Greens are unlikely to support linking MPs' pay increases to those offered to public servants, means that MPs' pay should be frozen while a long-term solution is consulted on, says the Taxpayers' Union.

Newstalk ZB is reporting that the Government is blaming unspecified 'technical difficulties' as the reason why the legislation has not yet been debated in the House.

Taxpayers' Union Executive Director, Jordan Williams, says, "On Monday we revealedthat, had the proposed changes been in place since National came into office, MPs’ pay hikes would have averaged 3.1% rather than the 1.7% that occurred."

"It appears that the Greens and the Labour Party have now come to the same conclusion — that John Key’s proposed reform would lead to even larger pay packets for MPs."

"The solution is simple. Ask the public to submit on a sensible MP remuneration structure and put a hold to this shady backroom reform. In the meantime MPs’ pay should be frozen and a taxpayers’ representative appointed to the Remuneration Authority."

ENDS

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