9. Question No. 9—Public ServiceJAN LOGIE (Green) to the Minister for the Public ServiceQuestion No. 9—Public Service9. JAN LOGIE (Green) to the Minister for the Public Service: How is restricting the wage increases of nurses teachers and border workers who earn between $60000 and $100000 in order to control the public wage bill" going to "reduce inequality"?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS (Minister for the Public Service): I reject the premise of the member's question. Let me restate what I said in my media statement last Wednesday: "We want to see those on lower wages be the focus of any increases in pay. This is about prioritising spending. The policy will also help protect jobs by taking financial pressure off the public wage bill. It will not impact the work we are doing within the Public Service to close gender and ethnic pay gaps. The public service is doing a good job implementing the Government's COVID-19 response and we ask that they lead the way in supporting the Government as we ensure [that] our spending is targeted to where it is needed [the] most."Jan Logie: Then why does the recently issued Public Service pay guide say "The default position is that there are to be no increases" and that "salary increases [should] remain low averaged across all staff." and that "executives in the Public Service should ensure that pay increases do not occur" unless they meet a narrow set of principles?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: I think the member rather than selectively quoting particular pieces of the guidance needs to read the guidance in its totality. What the Government is endeavouring to achieve is to stop the significant growth in the gap between those lowest paid and those who are higher paid. Across-the-board percentage increases which we have seen in the last three years have increased the gap between the lowest paid and the highest paid and that is unsustainable.Jan Logie: Why does he keep playing off low-income workers who earn under $60000 against other essential workers like nurses teachers or border workers who have also been working their guts out for relatively modest incomes?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: Again I reject the premise of the member's question. I don't believe that that is what the Government is doing. What the Government is saying is if we continue to provide across-the-board pay increases that see the majority of the money going to people on the highest salaries the inequality in the public sector will continue to increase and that is not something that this Government wants to see continue.Jan Logie: Is he aware that in May 2018 70 percent of nurses and midwives were already employed on the top pay band with no further progression possible as was stated in the 2018 New Zealand Nurses Organisation submission to the independent panel to resolve the DHB multi-employer collective agreement negotiations?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: Our awareness of the fact that many nurses and teachers sit at the top of their current pay scale is reflected in the fact that over five years this Government has injected an extra $4.2 billion into pay settlements with those workforces. What the Government is saying is it's time for those at the bottom end of the salary scale who are not reflected in the settlements reached with those workforces to get a bit of a break.Jan Logie: Will he revise the recently released Public Service pay guide document so that those earning over $60000 can also bargain in good-faith for the pay increases they surely deserve after a really tough year?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: Nothing in the guidance stops bargaining in good-faith."