Maori Party ‘defining issue’ is all hot air to whanau
The Maori Party is once again talking tough but delivering nothing when it comes to improving wages for hard-working whanau struggling to cope with rising living costs, says Labour’s Maori Social Development spokesperson Nanaia Mahuta.
“Raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour was a core Maori Party election promise and yet they are propping up a Government that has no intention of delivering it.
“The utterly miserable 25 cent increase announced yesterday is in fact a decrease in real terms when you factor in inflation and planned ACC worker levy increases,” Nanaia Mahuta says.
“The result is that struggling families now face an even greater struggle and our whanau will be particularly disadvantaged because a disproportionate number of Maori are on the minimum wage.
“If this is really a defining issue for the Maori Party as it claims, then why has it simply rolled over and allowed such a pitiful adjustment for the second year in a row? And why did it vote for tax cuts, which delivered nothing to these households?
“This is just more hot air from a party whose attempts to pretend it has nothing to do with the Government every time it makes decisions which are bad for Maori are becoming laughable. It is part of the Government and it’s letting Maori down,” Nanaia Mahuta says.
“I am pleased that Labour will be introducing a member’s bill to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour by next year to ensure that low and modest income households are paid a more decent wage that will enable them to invest in their family wellbeing.
“Nothing is more critical to ensuring whanau ora than being properly paid for the work you do, so that you can provide for your family. All the Maori Party’s talk about whanau ora simply rings hollow in light of the minimum wage decision.”
