Fox Marama: Remuneration Authority (Members of Parliament Remuneration) Amendment Bill — Second Reading In Committee Third ReadingText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeFox Marama: Remuneration Authority (Members of Parliament Remuneration) Amendment Bill — Second Reading In Committee Third Reading[Sitting date: 17 March 2015. Volume:704;Page:2338. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]MARAMA FOX (Co-Leader—Māori Party): Although the Māori Party congratulates the Prime Minister on moving at lightning speed to address the obvious anomalies and although we are about making change—and this is one that we support—while we are at it let us be bold. Let us have the courage to take a fresh look at the bigger picture of income inequality. I am reminded of the wisdom of Dr Martin Luther King Jnr: “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” The challenge and controversy has to be in tackling head-on the widening income inequality and in particular to understand the financial material hardship of whānau Māori.A recent study by Lisa Marriott and Dalice Sim revealed that although New Zealand has had some success in reducing inequalities the gaps in inequality among the majority of the indicators investigated in this study show worsening outcomes for Māori and Pacific people. A total of 21 indicators were investigated including health knowledge skills employment standards of living cultural identity and social connectedness. Of those 21 12 indicators—57 percent—reported increasing gaps between Māori and non-Māori over the last decade.So this is where we come to whānau ora. One of the six outcomes that we might expect to see whānau succeeding in under favourable conditions is wealth creation so we want to add that concept into the discussion. How is it fair that on one hand we can give out 50c and on the other hand we still will see an increase of about $5000 and more under this piece of legislation? Let us not just settle ourselves into being satisfied with that new public sector index while that means that MPs’ salaries will still increase in line with average public sector salaries because all that those parallel increases will do is sustain and retain the existing inequalities of remuneration.We all know that inequality has a long-term effect. Income inequality experienced early in life leads to reduced social mobility later in life. I understand that we are running out of time. I know that we want to get this through and we have come here under urgency but I want to make these points. We could investigate having a living wage. The Māori Party thinks it should be $18.80. We currently have a minimum wage that is set at a level of poverty. We are paying people to be impoverished and that needs to change. We should add urgency to that. Let us address income inequality in this country. I like the fact that we are doing something about this and we are taking it seriously but there is so much more that we need to take seriously in regard to income.I will finish with this: successive parliaments have created abject failure in addressing income inequality in a meaningful way. Labour or National Māori Party or the Greens—whatever ideas have come up through members’ or Government bills through select committees or question time the point is we still have not fixed the widening gaps. We are pleased that we have moved quickly and clearly to fix the issues around the remuneration of MPs but if we can move that rapidly for this issue why not apply the same rigour to looking at the issue of income inequality and addressing the enduring circumstances associated with whānau poverty in a sustainable effective and mana-enhancing way? Kia ora Mr Assistant Speaker.