Ardern said her personal salary, those of her fellow ministers and of top public servants would be slashed by a fifth for six months.
The move will see Ardern's annual pay fall from around NZ$470,000 to NZ$376,000, costing her about NZ$47,000 over the six-month period."While it in itself won't shift the government's overall fiscal position, it is about leadership," she told reporters. "This was always just going to be an acknowledgement of the hit that many New Zealanders will be taking at the moment.""Many people in our public sector are frontline essential workers -- nurses, police, healthcare professionals," Ardern said.New Zealand is in the midst of a four-week COVID-19 lockdown that has paralysed the economy, with thousands of jobs losses already announced.
Economic modelling released by the Treasury department this week predicted unemployment -- currently about 4.0 per cent -- could soar to almost 26 per cent in a worst-case scenario."If ever there was a time to close the gap between different positions, it's now," she said.Opposition leader Simon Bridges said that he would also take a 20 per cent pay cut.
What a thoughtful gesture. Any other leaders want to follow Jacinda’s lead? Anyone?
True leader!
This lady is a joke. She wears hijabs, she attacks legal gun owners and farmers for islamists. We don’t care.
Trudeau should be paying Canadians for his performance.
Canadians want to know..will Canadian politicians do same?
Send her an invitation. Canada needs her too. 🇨🇦
New Zealand is just knocking this out of the park. Good on them 👍🏽
After looking at the pay ,she should take that 20% cut forever. NewZealand
JustinTrudeau took a raise and hiked the carbon tax
JustinTrudeau
That is leadership way to go. Our leaders just took a raise. Hmmmm?
We need more leaders like her
In Canada the PM gives himself a raise, and people praise him for it
Justin gave himself a raise
village_whisper So big of her! Donnie gives 100%
not like our PM who get a pay raise for incompetance while being the worst PM in History
Trump donates 100% of his Presidential salary & has since day 1. NZ PM takes a 20% pay cut. Trudeau takes a raise. Then takes an Easter trip after telling the rest of us to stay home. Justin: “we are all in it together”. (Except me)
Wow! Ours gave himself a raise!
Congratulations on your *half-year* paycut to the staggeringly low amount of 5x the average New Zealand resident's salary. Brave.
Jacinta She should do like donald Trump who takes NO pay