3. Pay Equity—Government ResponseJAN LOGIE (Green) to the Minister for Workplace Relations and SafetyPay Equity—Government Response3. JAN LOGIE (Green) to the Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety: Why has the Government not yet announced its response to the Joint Working Group on Pay Equity Principles' recommendations given he has been considering them since May 2016?Hon MICHAEL WOODHOUSE (Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety): It is important that the process for addressing pay equity claims is clear and workable for all parties. The Government acknowledges that this is a significant issue and although a lot of progress is already being made including by the excellent efforts of the joint working group it is important that we get the process right. Accordingly the Government in partnership with a range of interested parties is still considering the recommendations of the joint working group. We expect to have a response in the not too distant future.Jan Logie: Given the working group comprised unions business and Government when will the Government announce its response to its work?Hon MICHAEL WOODHOUSE: In the not too distant future.Jan Logie: When can Kristine Bartlett and the 50000 care and support workers in New Zealand expect to be paid fairly for their important and skilled work?Hon MICHAEL WOODHOUSE: When the process for considering the equity claim that they have is complete. The joint working group principles are a way of providing a sound framework and process for doing that but actually they are still in a court process and I should not comment any further on that.Jan Logie: How has the Government found time to focus on things like Steven Joyce's space rockets law and Simon Bridges' pizza delivery drones when it does not seem to have made time to think about fair pay for women?Mr SPEAKER: In so far as there is ministerial responsibility the Hon Michael Woodhouse.Hon MICHAEL WOODHOUSE: In respect of the last part of that question quite the opposite. This Government—the Government that actually passed the Equal Pay Act 43 years ago—will also fashion a world-leading framework for the consideration of pay equity. But it is complex. The joint working group made excellent progress but there were still questions left unanswered. We are going to make sure we get that right. I would rather get it right than get it early.Jan Logie: How is it that the Government managed to take away carers' rights in a single day under urgency like it did last term but these negotiations to pay women fairly have already taken nearly a year?Hon MICHAEL WOODHOUSE: The member is not clear about the first part of that question; therefore I cannot answer it. [Interruption]Mr SPEAKER: Order! Does the member have a further supplementary question?Jan Logie: Supplementary question Mr Speaker.Mr SPEAKER: Then ask it.Jan Logie: Does the Minister realise that the under-paying and under-valuing of traditional women's work like caring is a major contributor to the imbalance of men's and women's economic positions as seen in this chart which shows that the average wage of Pasifika women is just 67 percent that of Pākehā men?Hon MICHAEL WOODHOUSE: Absolutely yes and as one who in a previous life employed many of those caring women I think I have a significant deal of empathy for the situation they face. That is why we are seeking a remedy. But I should add that the pay equity question is just one part of a broader programme of ensuring equal pay for women. I know that the Minister for Women is working incredibly hard on the many other things that we can do to ensure that women enter professions in equal numbers to men are not penalised when they take time out of the workforce and have access to directorships and we are seeing significant progress in that regard.