This is edition 2025/82 of the Ten@10 newsletter.
Welcome back. It's 2025 and 20 years since I started writing about politics and anything else that took my fancy. Thank to my VIP members for making this site what it is today. In July we will be having a 20th birthday celebration. Stay tuned for more announcements.
This is the Ten@10, where I collate and summarise ten news items you generally won't see in the mainstream media.
Enjoy!
1. Pay Equity Blues.
Chris Trotter
- 💰 National Party's Intervention: National faces severe political consequences for intervening in the Pay Equity process, aligning with Labour's adversaries like the Council of Trade Unions.
- 📜 Retrospective Legislation: Minister van Velden's urgent legislation drew criticism from academia and legal circles for lacking public input.
- 📉 Political Strategy: National's decision stemmed from fiscal pressures post-2024 elections, avoiding tax hikes to maintain economic management reputation.
- 🛡️ Damage Control: National aims to mitigate fallout by explaining Pay Equity issues but faces historical voting challenges and conservative backlash.
- 🤝 Comparator Issue: Pay Equity debates include challenges defining fair comparisons between different job categories, influencing wage disparities.
- 🌍 Cultural Implications: Pay Equity challenges not just economic norms but also cultural perceptions of worker value and market dynamics.
- ⚖️ Legal Impact: Legal victories like Kristine Bartlett's case highlight Pay Equity's disruptive potential despite political and economic pressures.
- 🌱 Economic Realities: Economic systems resist equal pay for work of equal value, reflecting broader market norms and social hierarchies.
- 🇺🇸 US Comparison: US examples like Florida's labour shortage show resistance to equal pay laws, preferring lower youth wages over migrant labour costs.
- 🏛️ Political Alignments: Act and National's legislative maneuvers prioritize economic stability over historical alignment, anticipating voter support in upcoming elections.
