Our 2011 election manifesto - Labour Party

Labour‟s plans to strengthen the economy by creating more higher paid and higher skilled
jobs, implementing a fairer tax system and focussing on our children and young people will
have major benefits for New Zealand women.
Our Principles
Equality: We will make sure that all women have full and equal access to
opportunities to develop and progress in the workforce and in society generally.
Inclusion: We will work to achieve the best outcomes for all women and implement all
policies, aware of the different needs of women of all ages, of tangata whenua and all
ethnicities, of all abilities and all sexualities.
Long term commitment: We will take a long term approach to persistent issues
which rely on changing culture such as violence against women and women‟s
underrepresentation in areas of leadership and non-traditional areas of work.
Collaboration: We will require collaboration across government and non-government
agencies to deliver real equality, real opportunity and real choice for all women. Labour
is committed to an adequately funded Ministry of Women‟s Affairs that can lead and
coordinate real collaboration with other government agencies and other key
stakeholders.
Evidence base and analysis: We need to make changes based on evidence about
what works. We will ensure that a gender perspective is automatically considered
when developing policy and legislation.
Our Priorities:
Employment equity and economic security
Women are concentrated in important but low paid jobs. According to the June 2010 New
Zealand Income Survey, 25,800 females were receiving the minimum wage. Despite the
Equal Pay Act 1972, a 12 per cent gender pay gap persists on average hourly earnings
between men and women. The gap is most significant for Pacifica women. Low and unequal
pay affects women‟s lifetime earnings and financial independence, family incomes and ability
to save for retirement. It is part of the picture of growing inequality which affects New
Zealand‟s future.
Labour will lift the Minimum Wage to $15 per hour to assist in closing the gender pay
gap.
Labour has a strong commitment to addressing gender pay inequality and recognises that a
comprehensive approach is necessary to address this systemic and enduring inequality.
Labour proposes using the work of the Human Rights Commission and the Pay &
Employment Equity Unit‟s detailed audits of the state sector gender pay gap to investigate
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