Having the C-word directed at me by a journalist in a mainstream publication wasn’t on my bingo list for Mother’s Day 2025. Nor was being accused of ‘girl-math’ [that’s the nature of most Leftists, vile and bigoted–Eds].

But there you have it, that’s what was thrown at me and my female colleagues in a recent newspaper column as hopelessly devoid of facts as it was heavy on sexist slurs.

We can look past the childish insults – what really bothers us are the deeply misleading statements being made by many following the Government’s changes to the process for progressing pay equity settlements.

So let’s get a few things straight about the Government’s law changes.

First, the right to equal pay remains as it ever was. Equal pay has been protected in New Zealand law since 1973. It’s the simple concept that a woman doing the same job as a man should get the same pay. Nothing has changed there. I’d resign my job before I’d let that happen.

Second, no woman has had her pay cut. Twelve existing pay equity settlements including for nurses, social workers, midwives, teacher aides, school librarians, care and support workers and a range of other female-dominated workforces remain. Those settlements resulted in higher pay for tens of thousands of women, and they continue to be funded by the Government, at a cost of around $1.8 billion a year. Our Government values those workers and none of them should be scared into thinking their pay is at risk. It’s not.

Third, additional pay equity settlements for further workforces are expected under the Government’s improved pay equity regime. In fact, the Government is so certain that there will be future pay equity settlements that we have set aside large amounts of funding for them in the Budget. We fully expect other women-dominated workforces to be getting pay equity driven pay rises in future.

So why all the vitriol?

Full article on The Fishhead (Te Upoko o te Ika)