7. Hon TREVOR MALLARD (Labour—Hutt South) Link to this
to the Minister of Labour
What will be the gain in real income per week, adjusted for inflation since 1 April 2008, of a full-time worker on the minimum wage, as a result of the Government’s decision on the 2009 minimum wage increase?
Hon Trevor Mallard Link to this
Did the Minister consult the Minister of Māori Affairs or the Minister for the Community and Voluntary Sector before she took this issue to Cabinet?
Hon KATE WILKINSON Link to this
I am always open to receiving representations from the Government’s supply and confidence partners. I received a letter from the Minister of Māori Affairs. Te Puni Kōkiri also made a submission. We took those submissions into consideration when calculating a fair, balanced, and realistic minimum wage.
Hon Tau HenareHon KATE WILKINSON Link to this
I have seen a report, on the recent change, in the New Zealand Herald, which notes that in the present recessionary environment “only the hopelessly optimistic or the ideologically blinkered could object”.
Hon Trevor Mallard Link to this
Was her original proposal, in which she did not support an increase, a result of submissions from either the ministerial summit group, to which she was not invited, or her former Exclusive Brethren clients, who run sweatshops?
Hon Gerry Brownlee Link to this
I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. Yesterday you set new, very pedantic standards for the answering of a question. Those standards should apply to the asking of a question. I ask you to rule which bit of that question from the Hon Trevor Mallard—a man well known for his abuse of the question process in this House—actually complies with your new standard.
Hon Dr Michael Cullen Link to this
Firstly, you should be taking objection to having been described as having given a pedantic ruling because that is a pejorative term and one not appropriately used by the Leader of the House. Secondly, the member simply made factual references. There were no epithets, terms of abuse, or any of the other terms referred to in the Standing Orders. It referred to the fact that the Exclusive Brethren were formerly clients of the member when she was a practising lawyer. There is no—
Mr SPEAKERThe member has made his point; he does not need to add to it. The Hon Gerry Brownlee made a perfectly valid point that where questions contain a number of issues, the Minister can choose to answer which bit she chooses to answer. I must say we have a bit of a problem emerging where some answers and some questions, especially supplementary questions, are too long. I applaud members on the structure of the primary questions today. They are good, short, and to the point, but some supplementary questions get too long, and some answers get too long. In this case the honourable Minister may answer which part of that question she chooses.
Hon KATE WILKINSON Link to this
Can I just refer to my answer to one of the questions yesterday, and it is the same answer today: the member is assuming too much. There was significant consultation throughout the process of the minimum wage review, and the decision was made based on that consultation, and based on the information received.