Independent views By Brendan Horan

Shall we celebrate with the Minister of Labour local MP Simon Bridges announcing that he is about to increase the minimum wage by 25 cents an hour to $13.75. Simon goes on to say that the government is 'firmly focused on growing the economy and boosting incomes”. He says 'it is a careful balance protecting jobs and ensuring they are not lost”. Is $10 (less tax) over a 40 hour week an income boost that will grow our economy? I'll let you be the judge.

As Energy Minister, Simon also recently reported it is inevitable that power prices will rise. I guess that will cover the extra $10.

At 25 cents per hour this would seem a little hypocritical to the hundreds of workers and in particular huge numbers of government workers who have been losing their jobs. Did the government, by placing a salary cap on government departments, forget that the CEO's of their agencies have their massive salaries determined by an independent authority? That in order for annual increases to be paid in a salary capped environment they restructure to enable the redirection of salary funds to the already overpaid CEO.

How much is enough, are these extreme salaries justified, indeed are they crippling our economy? I think we are coming to a point where, as a society, we need to re-evaluate how we fairly distribute our wealth.

Locally the new city CEO has settled for an all up package, car, holidays, performance bonuses, medical, telephone etc. of $340.000 p.a. - a very nice package courtesy of ratepayers. His counterpart in the Western Bay with a third of the population has a package deal of $385,000 including seven weeks of holidays.

Nationally taxpayers are forking out $425,000 to the education secretary Lesley Longstone who didn't get along with her Minister, $1.3 million to Don Elder Solid Energy on leave and having resigned; and Jenny Shipley dodging around director's fees. The Prime Minister in comparison receives $411.000.

Internationally we have executive compensations increasingly under scrutiny with Obama saying it is no longer accepted that huge remunerations are part and parcel of top executive / director roles. The global financial crisis, resulting bail outs and austerity measure are changing thinking and tolerance levels real or otherwise.

Certainly in the public sector with ratepayers and taxes footing the bill it is right and fair that questions are asked and answers demanded.

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