Comments on: Wage gap decreasing thanks to pro-worker policies

By: Wages still growing strongly at The Standard 2.02

Wages still growing strongly at The Standard 2.02 — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 00:48:39 +0000

[...] high, benefits were cut, and the minimum wage was allowed to drop all in a successful effort to keep wages down and leave more profits for National’s business backers. Bill English said that the idea of [...]

By: sean

sean — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 23:34:01 +0000

illuminatedtiger – and if you want lower net pay, lower productivity, booming inflation and run down health and education systems, by all means vote Labour.

Rhetoric and spin is so easy to fart out isn’t it?

By: illuminatedtiger

illuminatedtiger — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 13:39:30 +0000

If you want lower pay, crap worker rights and high doctors fees then please, by all means, vote National.

By: randal

randal — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 03:50:11 +0000

hs the reson leavers are paid more is because out there in the wider world there are more things to do than pulling a cows tit.

By: Draco T Bastard

Draco T Bastard — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 03:48:44 +0000

From here:

So why is it we're always led to believe that everything is better in Australia? Does Australia have some secret PR guru working on its behalf in this country?

Yes, yes it does. It's called the National Party of NZ. captcha: intends intrigues

By: Matthew Pilott

Matthew Pilott — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 01:38:44 +0000

Eh? Doubtful. ’twas a follow on from your ‘missy’.

I am well aware that I’d see National spinning this a lot more that the good guys, but after two years of attacks over the underclass, the wage cap, tax cuts curing everything, and you reckon they’re as bad as each other? While one eye may be a teeny bit squinty at times, I genuinely can’t see it.

By: higherstandard

higherstandard — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 01:18:54 +0000

Sonny ?? I’m probably old enough to be your dad

By: higherstandard

higherstandard — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 01:17:47 +0000

Felix …fair call, although my writing and grammar (and SPs) would definitely be better with the edit function in place.

By: higherstandard

higherstandard — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 01:15:49 +0000

Bollocks – both this thread and Labour have been just as vocal with their spin on the same issue.

The biggest concern for me is that those overseas and earning tend to be higher earners, I recall that around 30% of those working offshore were on 100k or more compared to only 3% of the NZ workforce. I’d like some non partisan analysis of why that is.

By: Chris S

Chris S — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 01:12:09 +0000

Was talking with one of the guys that were recently laid off from a local lines company (brought out by a competitor). He’s off to Oz next week, was saying his base salary was xx, but when you added on the 19% (for oddball hours), the 9% that the company pays to his super, etc etc etc – he would be foolish not to go.

You mean rights that are entitled to workers? Paid overtime and employer contributions to super?

By: Felix

Felix — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 01:09:40 +0000

hs you’re really stretching the bounds of possibility there. No way could your grammar be worse than his.

By: NeillR

NeillR — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 01:08:00 +0000

To ignore that is just dishonest.
No it’s not. When people talk about “the wage gap” it’s really only a measure of purchasing power – how much can you get for what you earn. So the dishonesty comes from jacking up gross wages (as Cullen has done) while taking an ever increasing amount in tax, and the purchasing power of the money left over is being eroded due to runaway inflation.
When Cullen took over the financial reigns he quickly increased the top tax rate to 39% and said that it would only ever apply to the top 5% of earners. That is now the top 12%, but i’m sure if you asked the other seven percent how they are coping they would be quick to tell you – as the massive exodus of Kiwis and the low showing of Labour in the polls will attest.

By: Matthew Pilott

Matthew Pilott — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 01:06:19 +0000

Hs, that rhetoric’s all from the blue corner, sonny. Labour never said tax cuts are a panacea for all that ails ye…

By: higherstandard

higherstandard — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 00:56:33 +0000

Tane Agreed which suggests that all the rhetoric for National or Labour on the issue is little more than political point scoring. [HS. you've been around here long enough to know that changes in tax only make small changes to after-tax incomes. The big way that aftertax incomes change is through wage increases. SP]

By: Dom

Dom — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 00:53:36 +0000

Yep, we’re a small market and the job opportunities her, especially for certain skill sets, are limited.

I’ve had two job offers from Oz companies in the past three years – one in Sydney and one in Melbourne. I could earn a lot more over there than I do here. But I would also have to live in Oz. It can’t offer the quality of life I have here – not even close.

It’s not ALL about the money.