Parliamentary Salaries

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31726, 9 July 1968, Page 12

Parliamentary Salaries

Sir,—This amazes me. We are told that the economy of the country cannot stand extra social security, extra rise to the workers; in short, we of New Zealand are broke. But the commission recommends a very big rise to our Parliamentarians. If they accept it how can they have the nerve to face the public? They are all tarred with the same brush. The down-trodden unemployed could have a lot of say about this. The aged pensioners could have a lot to say about a 50 cent rise': but of course the economy of the country—broke, etc.; could not run to it at all. The

penny-pinching and paring are for them only.—Yours, etc., R. DAVIS. July 6, 1968. Sir, Those complaining about a rise in salaries of members of Parliament are like the Parliamentarians themselves—small thinkers. This country is in the doldrums and will stay there until we reduce the ridiculous number of seats from 80 to about 35, then pay the successful candidates three times their present salary. The new scale would be none too high for the right men—men with the best brains, high qualifications, progressive, farsighted and courageous—to carry out the most important job in this country, that of running it successfully. From the doldrums to a decent mess, if we drift into the next election with the same parliamentary set-up and be content with any of the present political parties. New Zealand urgently needs, for prosperity and progress, highly-paid, topciass men and women in Parliament.—Yours, etc., WEST WIND. July 6, 1968.