M.P.s’ salaries

Press, 19 August 1977, Page 12

M.P.s’ salaries

Sir, —Your bald statement of increases in certain M.P.s’ salaries leaves much to be desired in public relations. Not only Labour supporters

could be excused from expressing considerable surprise and even anger at such apparently large increases when the “man in the street” is being told by these same M.P.s that he must accept very much smaller increases (if any). It would have been better public relations and reporting to have divided M.P.s’ salaries into at least two headings: Personal salary (after all expenses of the position have been deducted from gross salary); and expenses salary (to cover expenses of the position). If this were done we, “in the street,” could compare Mr Muldoon’s personal salary with those of, say, a university professor or a wharf labourer.—Yours, etc., G. L. NANSON. August 17, 1977.

Sir.—lt is interesting now the Prime Minister’s salary increase is emphasised in Tuesday’s issue of “The Press,” with the N.Z.P.A. reporter’s comment: “It is more than the national weekly wage.” The report made no comparison between Mr Rowling’s increase of $80.90 a week and, say, that of a solo mother with three children, who gets only $70.09 a week to live on—slo.Bl less than Mr Rowling’s increase. However, both will be paying the maximum tax rate of 60 per cent, as Mr Rowling now receives over $24,000 a year, which is equal to four working men’s wages. After tax, Mr Muldoon would receive only $47.20 a week more and Mr Rowling $32.36 — hardly fantastic increases when one considers that Parliamentarians have not had an increase for some time. They deserve every cent they earn when the hours and loss of family life are taken into account. — Yours, etc., C. G. MARSHALL. August 18, 1977. Sir, —What hypocrisy from Mr Muldoon, on the one hand implying that average working people should limit themselves to a single figure percentage increase in their pays, while he takes a 20.55 per cent increase, not to mention a free house and keep. It is not really surprising though, when you think that the Prime Minister supposedly knows more about the economy of New Zealand than anyone else. Is 20.55 per cent going to be this financial year’s inflation rate? If the previous economic miracles of the Prime Minister are any indication, this estimate nay well be conservative. — Yours, etc., J. FITZGERALD, Kaiapoi. August 16, 1977.