New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has said that she, ministers in her government and public service chief executives will take a 20% pay cut for the next six months to show solidarity with those affected by the COVID-19 outbreak.
Ardern said that it was important the government’s most highly paid politicians show “leadership and solidarity” with workers on the frontline and those who had lost their lives due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“If there was ever a time to close the gap between groups of people across New Zealand in different positions, it is now. I am responsible for the executive branch and this is where we can take action,” she stated.
The Prime Minister added that the government was not considering any pay cuts for frontline essential workers, such as healthcare professionals and teachers.
At the same time, she acknowledged that the move will not shift the government’s overall fiscal position, noting that “this is about leadership.”
“This was always just going to be an acknowledgment of the hit that many New Zealanders will be taking at the moment,” she added.
Opposition leader Simon Bridges said that he would also take a 20% pay cut.
New Zealand has so far reported 1,386 coronavirus cases and 9 deaths. The government is expected to decide next week if it will extend the current nationwide shutdown that has been in force for three weeks.
