They owe every Hawke’s Bay woman in the following professions an apology, although that would not remotely qualify as fair compensation for the injustice they have endorsed:
- The entire teaching workforce, in which women are by the most prevalent (early childhood – 97%, primary – 85%, high schools – 63%)
- Education support workers, education advisers and educational psychologists
- Social workers
- Youth workers
- Probation officers (68% women)
- Corrections psychologists
- Hospice workers
- Veterinary nurses
- Plunket nurses
- Lab staff
- Midwives
Each of these had pay equity claims in process (some for years) that have been cancelled outright under the Government’s so-called Pay Equality Law pulled out of the rabbit’s hat last week with no notice and passed under urgency in one day.
Further, some of these – high school teachers and probation officers – cannot renew their claims because the law raises the ‘female-dominance’ threshold as to which professions qualify to make gender pay equity claims (to 70%) … and they narrowly miss out.
That’s the reality of this rushed legislation, regardless of our MPs efforts to cast the changes as merely cleaning-up the existing legislation (which, BTW, National supported when enacted in 2020). Fixing the inequality is expensive, however this legislation merely dumps budget-cutting on the backs of NZ women working in some of the most crucial jobs in our society.
There’s more. Claims can only be brought or adjusted every ten years 10 years. Employers have the entire right to decide the role to match the wages against … and whether a claim is meritorious.
How hard can it be to get equal pay for equal work wrong?!
One might ask: Who contributes more to our social benefit, those women discriminated in the vital professions above, or our two well-paid woman MPs, who spend most of their time generating ‘feel good’ social media photo opps and superficial member’s bills … and who at $168,000 for an ‘ordinary MP’ salary (plus $18,600 for expenses) clearly don’t suffer from any pay gap, gender or otherwise?
Don’t expect to get that apology anytime soon.
But perhaps next year. An online poll on Stuff is currently running 81% to 19% against the new law.
They are no better than Anna Lorck for photo opportunities our hardest working MP was Lawrence Yule and he lost to Anna Lorck. Fickle voters who don’t read the political news need to up their game.
Lawrence Yule, hardest working MP?
Is that the same Lawrence who voted against the assisted dying legislation because of his personal religious beliefs, despite more than 70% of the people in his electorate supporting the legislation?
Yes I agree. Our ‘two little girls in blue’ should be ashamed of their lack of initiative in this respect and for not supporting the real contributors who work so hard to make a positive future for our people.
It really saddens me that there is so little understanding in the present government of what really makes for a cohesive and successful society.
It is heedless of this as it takes its chaotic and brutal actions that speak more of decisions based on panic and a deep ignorance of the effects of those actions.
Let’s hear from the workers affected , not the party faithfuls , women have been undervalued for decades as reflected in their wage. Ask would you encourage your grandchildren into nursing and teaching professionals when the rewards are so disproportional with other professionals, not to mention your exposure to abuse and anger. Support women not attack the journalist that highlights the problem
Bravo, Tom.
Get your facts right,Tom, before firing off emotive bullshit at our 2 hardworking MPs…who don’t make Govt policy….drill into the facts,mate..!!
I stand pat. Both MPs are entirely welcome to comment and make their case. In this instance, their silence tells the story.
No they don’t make government policies but they whole heartedly supported it. Which is the whole point. Now our underpaid undervalued “women’s work” will continue to be just that.
Facts? Rob, do you understand how parliament works? These two MPs voted for the legislation i.e. supported it.
Or they may have been censored, right Tom? If you are pro-Trump, pro-Israel, pro-Act, pro-National or pro-something Tom doesn’t like, I imagine that doesn’t feature…..
You’re 100% correct … doesn’t feature at all. If you follow BayBuzz at all, you’d see that we have an open door on comments … just like with yours and the earlier one from Rob P. I’d be shocked if either MP maintained they’ve been “censored” by BayBuzz.
Tom Belford, Editor
Great to see people are allowed to have an uncensored voice via the BayBuzz comments, whether Tom agrees or not. That’s democracy at its finest.
Below is an example of Catherine Wedd not supporting flood-affected victims.
I met with Catherine and informed her of the HDC’s post-cyclone denials and lies about its neglect of the HN dams and streams and sent her evidence of this. After I received the Chief Ombudsman’s Provisional Opinion in November 2024, regarding the complaint I had lodged with his office against the HDC in September 2023, I wrote to her on 14 February 2025 as follows:-
Good Morning Catherine
In my email to you dated 10 December 2024, I asked you, ‘Have you any comment on the Havelock North flooding and the impact it had on local residents, because you must have spoken to flood-affected victims?’
The automatic response advised that your office would be in contact as soon as possible, but this didn’t happen. You provided no comment
Your decision not to comment is contrary to your statement:-
– I am proud to stand up for, and champion our electorate and I am not afraid to address the views and concerns of the people in Tukituki . (national.org.nz)
Can you please advise why you decided not to provide any comment when you would have been aware that this could have assisted flood-affected residents in the Tuki Tuki electorate and what your position is on this subject?
No response.
Very concerning and very disappointing.
Totally agree with the sentiment in your article Tom, these two MP’s are merely puppets of very dangerous political leaders. They totally fail the two electorates.
Just as importantly as a point though, the legislation is taking us backwards in terms of a civilized society. Dickens workhouse type stuff. The new rules totally discredit the value of so many women in society, and further entrench a class dominated structure that sees capitalists having way too much power. This Government is very frightening, shame the opposition doesn’t put up a fight.
Tom, this is not a balanced article. You omit to mention NZ is ‘investing’ an additional $13 billion in defence to provide “offensive capability” and bring our defence spending to an arbitrary 2% of GDP. The government has to prioritise spending. It’s only fair that workers in highly valued yet lowly paid roles carry that burden so we can suck up to the yanks and buy billions worth of useless military equipment.
Enough said – our MP’s have little empathy for their fellow citizens – all the above comments have their points – I will bet that next election all memory of this and other let downs will be forgotten and most people will vote the same way they always have regardless of the performance of the MP or the Party. And we will continue to get exactly the same garbage for the next term – whatever the coalition is made up of – and everybody will have the same old complaints! Maybe people could consider actually looking at issues and asking questions of candidates and the vote accordingly – and then keep holding said MP responsible by attending, and voicing at, public meetings – but that’s probably too hard for most so it’ll be same old, same old – Deity of your choice help us!
This is an amateur piece of political propoganda not journalism. These occupations listed already have equal pay between men and women in that occupation as it’s the law. Women are not being paid less for the same jobs, with the same conditions and hours.
Comparing pay between occupations is like comparing apples to oranges (or dairy farmers to say the earnings of sheep farmers in a rural context, the butcher to the farmer) and a union endorsed side show taking the country one step closer to complete communism.
Agree with your first paragraph, Peter, except for the first sentence. Same pay for same job is law-enshrined.
However, women-dominated jobs of immense social value are grossly under-valued in terms of compensation. Making that inequity harder to address is a backward step … to put it most generously.
Thanks for the feedback, Jessica and I champion that you held one of the HB Councils to account for yet another systemic failure. However, it was Labour and smiley man Nash in power then. He and his ilk commissioned an ‘independent’ review and report which was top heavy on let’s help the iwi rather than the whole community. In summary, I support the parts of government that are getting back to basics, repealing laws that blatantly favour minorities that the community as a whole were not consulted on and are still paying millions of dollars for (pot calling kettle now Labour-Greens-Te Pati M-Iwis-Waitangi Tribunal) and working on bettering society. We can’t keep robbing Peter to pay Paul anymore, because eventually Peter will have had enough. Then Paul will get nothing and maybe finally get off his arse and become a Peter. Then society will get better. This applies to so many things at the moment, including Local Government. Also, remember to vote in the coming Local elections. There are many ‘Paul’s’ that need to learn what it is like to get nothing from their ratepayers.
100% spot on Tom! Let’s hope voters remember this all-round despicable betrayal come election time…!
Horrified how many women in National and their two coalition partners (who seem to be running the show) and proud to see Labour, Greens and Te Pati Māori vote against the bill enshrined discrimination!
That’s right, Trevor. And where were they after the 2020 floods? Thumbs up their bums. Wave to Nash in his Iwi mansion on Marine Parade. Celia, how’s the Green party going for you? Feel free to pop back to the UK anytime.
The process used to ram through the changes to the pay equity law and scrap years of work on pay equity claims was absolutely appalling and every MP, woman or not, who voted in favour should be ashamed of themselves for supporting both the bill itself and its passage under urgency. We all know the only bills passed under urgency (except in times of national crisis) are to deny the opportunity for public debate. The bill should at least have been a conscience vote. But it’s very obvious this government doesn’t have a conscience.
It seems to me that this government is only interested in limiting the incomes of the already low or modestly paid. Wrong target! Consultants, including the
people “reviewing” flooding etc can charge whatever exorbitant fees and the government departments doesn’t seem to bat an eyelid
Hi Lizzie, the process used to ram through the changes to pretty much everything over Labour’s term is why there is no $ for the people who actually work for their money.