Inequality in the news – again

More media coverage in recent weeks – in both the main centres and the regions – strengthens the case that inequality is one of the key issues today. Stuff has just run a major story on income gaps, quoting Inequality: A New Zealand Crisis and attracting over 170 comments. The story is here: http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/money/9330822/Do-Kiwis-care-about-wage-inequality Meanwhile,…

Inequality IS natural

In a debate organised last week by Victoria University students, the motion that ‘inequality is natural’ won out over the opposing view by a margin of 49 to 43. This might seem like a setback for those who care about inequality. But in fact it wasn’t. The affirmative team, led by Shamubeel Eaqub of the…

Is New Zealand fair?

Ideas of fairness – especially the cherished ‘fair go’ – have long been important in New Zealand culture. But Anglican Social Justice are running a competition for schools, entitled ‘Is New Zealand fair?’, which challenges some of those ideas. Drawing on information from Inequality: A New Zealand Crisis, it’s asking students to find new and…

High Pay in New Zealand

Headlines in recent weeks have pointed once again to the tendency for the highest salaries and remuneration to keep increasing faster than those of other employees (see Fairfax news: “Bosses’ pay rises outpace workers’”). The highest paid government department heads have salary packages of well over $600,000, according to the latest figures from the State…