Taxpayers’ Union Backs Te Pāti Māori Call to Freeze Parliament Pay

The New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union is backing Te Pāti Māori’s call for a freeze on MP pay rises, saying politicians should not be taking more while many New Zealanders are doing it tough.

Taxpayers’ Union Investigations Coordinator, Rhys Hurley, said:

“Te Pāti Māori are right to call this out. While families are struggling with rising costs, Members of Parliament pocketing over $17,000 in pay rises this term is completely out of touch.”

“This is a simple matter of leadership. If MPs believe the country is struggling, they should reflect that in their own pay packets.”

“Too often, politicians are quick to talk about fairness but slow to apply it to themselves. Te Pāti Māori deserve credit for taking a principled stance on this issue.”

“Of course, MPs who don’t want to accept unfair pay rises can pay them straight back to Treasury. We look forward to confirmation that Te Pāti Māori MPs will be paying back any increase they receive.”

Treasury’s Crown receipts account number is 03-0049-0000327-25, and a copy of the deposit clip can be viewed here. Treasury requests that donors include the name of the payee and purpose of payment e.g. “MP’s Salary” in the reference fields.