6. SUE MORONEY (Labour) Link to this
to the Minister of Women's Affairs
What work has she directed the Ministry of Women’s Affairs to undertake to eliminate the gender pay gap now that the Government has closed the pay and employment equity unit?
Hon PANSY WONG (Minister of Women’s Affairs) Link to this
I have asked the Ministry of Women’s Affairs to take a policy role, in relation to the gender pay gap, that is broader than the pay and employment equity review and pay investigations. My ministry’s brief will address the following factors contributing to the gender pay gap: education qualifications; work experiences, including time out to care for children; and women being clustered in female-dominated, low-pay occupations.
Mr SPEAKERWhy did the Minister tell the National Council of Women that “We have plenty of research and investigation on the need for pay parity, and it is time we made changes in the law.”?
As usual, I find that the recall of the member is not quite reliable. I am not too sure where she got that quote from. I advise everybody that in 1972 the National Government passed the Equal Pay Act.
Dr Jackie BlueWill Government members please pay respect to their colleague. I cannot hear. Dr Jackie Blue has the floor.
As I said, the National Government passed the Equal Pay Act in 1972. Since that legislation was passed, the pay gap between women and men has started to close, until 2001, when under the then Labour Government the pay gap was 12 percent, where it has stayed. I am privileged to once again be part of a National Government that addresses the pay gap.
Why did the Minister agree to having the statement that the National Council of Women of New Zealand checked with her before they published the comment in the June issue of its newsletter The Circular, which I read out, attributed to her?
I do not remember being asked to check a statement. It is appalling that the Labour MP would suggest that a Government MP—or any MP—should sanction what community non-governmental organisations say in their newsletters.
How does the Ministry of Women’s Affairs now have the capacity to undertake this gender pay gap work?
In Budget 2009 the Ministry of Women’s Affairs received an increase of $2 million in its funding over the next 4 years. That equates to a 12 percent increase in budget. That funding contrasts starkly with the previous Labour Government, which rejected budget bids from its Ministry of Women’s Affairs in both 2007 and 2008. Labour said no to the capability budget bids put in by the Ministry of Women’s Affairs. National supports the Ministry of Women’s Affairs.
As I said before, the Ministry of Women’s Affairs received a budget increase of $2 million over the next 4 years, thanks to the support of the Prime Minister and my senior Cabinet colleagues. We will leave no stone unturned in trying to close the pay gap.
I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. The question I asked was quite specific, and the Minister failed to address it. My question asked what changes in the law she is considering in order to eliminate the gender pay gap. I invite you to invite the Minister to address that question.
The question was very clearly about changes to the law, not about funding. I invite the Minister to answer the question.
As I said, we will have an extra $2 million to examine the three factors I mentioned previously: education qualifications, time out of work, and women being clustered together in low-paid occupations. We will leave no stone unturned. If there are glitches in legislation, then I am sure my colleagues will look at them if we need legislative intervention.
I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. If the answer to my question is none, then the Minister may well say that, but she certainly did not address the question.
We must be careful not to push this matter too far. As I heard it the Minister talked about money that was being deployed to examine certain issues in relation to the law. That appears to me to be identifying the areas the Minister is focusing on. I believe, therefore, that she answered the question.
Sue Moroney: I seek leave to table a copy of the June issue of The Circular published by the National Council of Women of New Zealand and containing the quote from Pansy Wong.
I seek leave to table a press statement in the name of Kate Wilkinson that states that the pay equity issue is the responsibility of all employers and that good employers will work to tackle it.
Leave is sought to table a press statement from Kate Wilkinson. Is there any objection to that press statement being tabled? There is objection.
Rahui KateneWhat specific projects has the Minister initiated to address the pervasive inequalities for Māori women, who earn less than women of all other ethnicities and just 86.1 percent of the average Pākehā woman’s salary?
I am pleased to say that the Ministry of Women’s Affairs will be doing some work looking at young Māori women’s participation in employment and education, and identifying the factors that influence participation and the degree to which these factors differ between Māori and Pākehā women. The ministry will also be looking at overall factors such as qualifications, work experience, and education that affect the pay gap. We will definitely include the experience of Māori women in that work.
Does the Minister agree with Sharon Clair, vice-president of the Council of Trade Unions, that the high levels of participation of Māori women in voluntary and unpaid work is a major driving force in the cultural recovery and resilience of Māori communities; if so, what policy implications emerge from this situation?
My vision for women is that they will exercise real choice and use their strength to maximise social and economic success. It is very satisfactory that the benefit may be that Māori women may choose to contribute in that way to their own communities. The important policy consideration is that we value community work and not limit women’s choices to contribute only to the paid sector. But if women choose to join the workforce, then they should enjoy equal pay and employment opportunities. I seek leave to table capability Budget bid documents from the Ministry of Women’s Affairs in 2007 and 2008. The first one is the Vote Women’s Affairs 2007 capability Budget bid initiative, and the second one is the Vote Women’s Affairs 2008 policy capability Budget bid initiative. Both of those bids were rejected by the previous Labour Government.
Hon Trevor Mallard Link to this
I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. Of course there will be objection, but I would like to appeal to the Leader of the House and the Minister of Finance on this question. There is a lot of precedent around getting clearance for official documents from previous Ministers to be released, which has certainly not occurred in this case.