Coronavirus NZ: Jacinda Ardern, ministers take 20 per cent pay cut

New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern and her entire ministry will take a 20 per cent pay cut as coronavirus plays havoc with the global economy.

NZ Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has revealed that she and all her government ministers will take a 20 per cent pay cut.

Ms Ardern said the pay cut, which will last for six months, was about the government taking leadership and also reflected what was happening in the private sector.
Public sector chief executives’ pay will also be cut 20 per cent.

“If there was ever a time to close the gap between different positions, it’s now,” the Prime Minister said.

“This is where we can take action, which is why we have.”

Ms Ardern said cutting chief executives and ministers’ pay affected a wide range of individuals, for example, the judiciary.

The 20 per cent cut was an acknowledgment of the economic hit many parts of New Zealand were taking as a result of COVID-19.

NZ Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern will take a pay cut over coronavirus. Picture: Hagen Hopkins/Getty

National Party leader Simon Bridges said on Twitter he would also take a 20 per cent pay cut.

Health director-general Ashley Bloomfield, who will also see his pay cut as a result of the move, said today’s 20 new coronavirus cases were made up of six confirmed cases and 14 probable cases.

Australian Treasurer Josh Frydenberg was asked today whether Australian politicians would take a similar pay cut.

“We have frozen the pay increases for politicians here and for public servants … that’s the action we have taken,” he replied.

Ms Ardern hit out at reports of landlords increasing rents during the lockdown, saying it was “utterly unfathomable”.

“Be a good citizen, just be a good human being,” she said.

Today’s 20 new cases brings the total number of cases in New Zealand to 1386 — 728 of which have now recovered.

This story originally appear in the NZ Herald and is republished with permission