MP's pay rise not going down awfully well...

[Lilith7]

Oh surely not! Surely the peasants must understand how they have to guard against any possibility of their standard of living slipping even a tiny bit...


https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/political-...RP6YU7RT4/

How entitled are New Zealand’s politicians? Right now, MPs across the political spectrum look entirely out of touch in their unified stance of accepting the hefty pay increases recommended by the Remuneration Authority.
MPs should simply reject the pay increases — which they can easily do — rather than risk a legitimate public backlash from constituents who feel betrayed by an already well-paid political class that insists on austerity for others, but not themselves.
Historically, MPs have been paid at a much lower level. The role of a politician was once regarded as a vocational public service. Consequently, a backbench MP was paid at the same rate as only a senior secondary school teacher.
Then, in the 1980s, alongside the neoliberal reforms, politics was professionalised, and MPs demanded to be treated more like private sector executives. Egalitarian ideas that MPs should be “just like us” went out of fashion. The PM stopped having his phone number listed in the phone book. Regarding themselves as elite professionals, MPs felt no shame in devising new ways of calculating their pay that sent them skyrocketing. Running the country, and politics in general, was now to be done so like a business.
Politicians also enriched themselves in other ways. It became more common for MPs to invest in shares and accumulate real estate. MPs across the political spectrum made a fortune out of rising house prices. Nowadays, only a handful of politicians aren’t property owners, and it’s common for them to own multiple houses.
MP Chloe Swarbrick has spoken out strongly about MPs being “overpaid”, saying, “I feel pretty gross about it”. Now, as co-leader, she emphasised this week that pay increases shouldn’t be politicised.

And they shouldn't bloody well be happening either, Chloe. Shame on all politicians for not speaking out against this, particularly at a time when so many are struggling.

[Oh_hunnihunni]

The point is they do not have to accept it. Just as landlords do not have to raise rents. It is a choice.

Lots of folk these days have few choices about how they run their lives, so those with the power of choice should treat it as the privilege it is.

[Zurdo]

And the Police still don't get their pay rise...or the nurses...or the teachers.

[Oh_hunnihunni]

And who of these is the most use to society?

Let's start paying people for the work they actually do, not for their job title.

[nzoomed]

The pay should be based on attendance in parliament.
Seems crazy to see MPs speak in the house and so many empty seats!

[Lilith7]

The point is they do not have to accept it. Just as landlords do not have to raise rents. It is a choice.

Lots of folk these days have few choices about how they run their lives, so those with the power of choice should treat it as the privilege it is.

No. They don't - but they bloody well will, the greedy sods.

---

And the Police still don't get their pay rise...or the nurses...or the teachers.

Exactly. You'd think that in view of that, our glorious leader & his mates & fellow MP's might have the sensitivity to refuse the pay rises, might feel perhaps a tiny bit of shame.

But no, not one of that lot has come out & turned it down.
Greed rules.

[Zurdo]

They need to look at trimming some of their own fat too - far too many MP's, and half of them weren't even elected ! On the Party List - you're in on the gravy train if you didn't even get the job done.

[Oh_hunnihunni]

Listening to James Shaw's valedictory speech I learned something about MPs. He thanked his staff individually.

They have an awful lot of paid help.

[Lilith7]

Listening to James Shaw's valedictory speech I learned something about MPs. He thanked his staff individually.

They have an awful lot of paid help.

They probably need them, to help fend off those increasing numbers of massively pithed orff people...

[dken31]

The challenge with setting MP pay is to make it enough so as to not turn away decent quality candidates, but no so much so as have people doing it for the money. But that is impossible to do really, as a smart motivated person with a decent amount of experience and expertise can easily earn more than an MP salary elsewhere, whereas it is also way more than a fair chunk of our current MPs could have ever dreamed of earning.

As to whether or not they should accept the pay-rise, rank-and-file MPs have no say in their salaries and can't turn down the pay-rise, although there is nothing to stop them from donating the extra. Although Luxon isn't really supposed to (as it is meant to be set by an independent authority), he evidently could reject the pay-rise just like Ardern did. However, he's between a bit of rock & a hard place as it isn't a great look for him to be saying "we don't need pay-rises" when he's on $450K+ and standard MPs are on $170K-ish. When Ardern instigated the pay-freeze, there was strong bi-lateral support (Seymour was arguably the one that first tabled the idea), whereas I feel like most MPs have been fairly silent on the matter this time around.

I think the best option is to keep the independent authority independent, and then any MPs that feel overpaid can donate the excess.

[Lilith7]

The challenge with setting MP pay is to make it enough so as to not turn away decent quality candidates, but no so much so as have people doing it for the money.  But that is impossible to do really, as a smart motivated person with a decent amount of experience and expertise can easily earn more than an MP salary elsewhere, whereas it is also way more than a fair chunk of our current MPs could have ever dreamed of earning.

As to whether or not they should accept the pay-rise, rank-and-file MPs have no say in their salaries and can't turn down the pay-rise, although there is nothing to stop them from donating the extra.  Although Luxon isn't really supposed to (as it is meant to be set by an independent authority), he evidently could reject the pay-rise just like Ardern did.  However, he's between a bit of rock & a hard place as it isn't a great look for him to be saying "we don't need pay-rises" when he's on $450K+ and standard MPs are on $170K-ish.  When Ardern instigated the pay-freeze, there was strong bi-lateral support (Seymour was arguably the one that first tabled the idea), whereas I feel like most MPs have been fairly silent on the matter this time around.

I think the best option is to keep the independent authority independent, and then any MPs that feel overpaid can donate the excess.

I suspect the numbers of any doing so will be few & far between.

[Zurdo]

The Police keep turning down their pay offer...the MP's should too.

[Lilith7]

The Police keep turning down their pay offer...the MP's should too.

Yeah...but for very different reasons; one far too little, the other far too much.

[dken31]

The Police keep turning down their pay offer...the MP's should too.

The police situation is an active pay negotiation whereas MPs don't get to negotiate their pay with it instead being set by an independent body without any MP input.

[Lilith7]

Perhaps we should have a vote on the level & possible increases to MP's pay, at the same time as the general election.

I'm sure it would prove extremely interesting, & produce useful results...

[Zurdo]

Oh...it's nothing to do with them - yeah right. Times are tough, Government money is tight, in short supply...we need to cut costs. But our pay, no, no need to cut government expenditure in that area at all.

[Lilith7]

A good many MPs are wealthy & have absolutely no need of a pay rise. Either they should forgo the rise,or donate to charity, with proof they've done so.