9. Question No. 9—COVID-19 ResponseTEANAU TUIONO (Green) to the Minister for COVID-19 ResponseQuestion No. 9—COVID-19 Response9. TEANAU TUIONO (Green) to the Minister for COVID-19 Response: Are all Government employees and contractors in managed isolation and quarantine facilities and at the border being paid at least the living wage?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS (Minister for COVID-19 Response): Staff who work in the facilities from the New Zealand Police the New Zealand Defence Force Aviation Security Service or AVSEC and Health are covered by the living wage. Security contractors on new contracts are receiving a living wage. All Immigration New Zealand staff and contractors employed at the border are paid at least the living wage and that includes Customs staff employed at the border. Hotel staff at managed isolation facilities are either employed directly or contracted by the hotel companies that operate the facilities. I've been advised that 10 of the 32 facilities pay the living wage and I welcome the recent announcement by Accor who run nine managed isolation and quarantine facilities that they will be paying their staff the living wage. In addition I'm aware that the Jet Park quarantine facility in Auckland pays their staff the living wage and are looking to extend that to Jet Park Hamilton staff shortly. Worker pay is being discussed as part of our commercial negotiations with the hotel companies.Teanau Tuiono: Will the Government also encourage the private sector to pay managed isolation and quarantine (MIQ) and border workers the living wage and if so how?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: As I indicated yes the living wage and worker pay is being discussed as part of the commercial negotiations around the renewal of contracts for our managed isolation and quarantine facilities.Teanau Tuiono: Does he think all the working people who will be prioritised for vaccines in recognition of the personal risk they are taking just to do their jobs should be paid the living wage?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: Certainly the Government is very supportive of the living wage. We have been working very hard to ensure that all those employed by the State by the Government are paid the living wage. It gets more difficult as we move out beyond the people who are in our immediate employ to contracted workforces but we are working very hard across Government around Government procurement policy to ensure that the living wage is extended as far and wide as possible as quickly as possible.Teanau Tuiono: Does he think the essential workers who keep our COVID-19 response going by stacking supermarket shelves caring for our elderly people and driving buses deserve a living wage?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: I think all New Zealanders deserve a living wage although I am not necessarily responsible for what supermarkets pay to their employees but I'd certainly encourage all employers to be good employers.Teanau Tuiono: Has he encouraged the Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety to prioritise ongoing fair pay for MIQ border and other essential workers by introducing fair pay agreements?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: Fair pay agreements are something that I am very supportive of. It is the Labour Party policy; we are in discussions about that. I've also been having conversations with the Minister for the Public Service about ensuring that we do our bit as an employer—as a good employer—in making sure that we are treating our employees well.