Former MPs unite for ‘people’s select committee’ into pay equity

Monday, 26 May 2025

Former National MP Dame Marilyn Waring has announced a group of former MPs will hold their own select committee analysing changes to the Equal Pay Act.

A group of former women MPs are forming a 'people's select committee' to scrutinise the Government's pay equity changes.

The committee includes former MPs from National, Labour, NZ First and the Green Party.

Dame Marilyn Waring, a former National MP, convened the committee to gather evidence Parliament should have heard.

Former parliamentarians from across the political spectrum are launching their own inquiry into the Government’s pay equity changes, in protest of its decision not to hold a public hearing into the issue.

A group of 10 women - who served in National, Labour, NZ First and the Green Party - have formed a “people’s select committee” to analyse the Government’s changes to the Equal Pay Act.

The coalition rushed through changes to the Equal Pay Act ahead of its Budget. There had been no public debate about the change and Parliament debated the change under urgency, opting not to follow the usual process to hear public submissions during a select committee.

On Monday, Dame Marilyn Waring, a former National MP, announced she had convened a committee of respected former parliamentarians to hold their own “select committee” style inquiry.

“We have a good spread of women who want to hear the evidence that Parliament should have heard,” she said.

Former National MP Professor Marilyn Waring DNZM has announced a “people’s select committee” made up of former MPs from across parties to analyse changes to the Equal Pay Act.

While Waring announced their plan at Parliament, speaking in a committee room dedicated to women, the process was being run on charity and had nothing to do with Parliament or the Government.

The “people’s select committee” would include four former National MPs, four former Labour MPs, and a former Green and a former NZ First MP.

While many were now retired, the committee listed include former foreign minister Nanaia Mahuta, former mayors Lianne Dalziel and Steve Chadwick.

Formerly of the National Party, Jackie Blue, Jo Hayes and Belinda Vernon would sit on the committee. They would join Ria Bond, a former NZ First MP, and Dr Sue Braford from the Green Party.

Professor Marilyn Waring DNZM speaks to reporters at a select committee room dedicated to women leaders, while announcing her plan to assess the Government’s changes to the Equal Pay Act.

With Lynne Pillay, an ex-Labour MP, joining the committee, Waring said it would roughly mimic the proportionality of a a normal parliamentary select committee.

To assist the committee, former Public Service Commission advisor Amy Ross - who worked on the original pay equity policy - and former Parliament librarian Bessie Sutherland would work with the committee.

She said the committee would hold its first meeting in August, hopefully at Parliament, with the aim of reporting back by the end of the year.

It would hear submissions, and Waring offered the promise of anonymity to anyone who could share Government documents or other sensitive materials.

“I expect from both the public and private sector, that things will fall off a truck,” she said.

She denied the committee had pre-determined any outcome.

“My primary objective is to offer a facility for getting the evidence Parliament should have had before it,” she said.

“We want to know why such a large number of women who are not well paid became the collateral damage of balancing the Budget. This is an evidence gathering mission,” she added.

She said she wanted to hear from those who supported and were concerned by the law change. Everyone who submitted on the previous changes to the Equal Pay Act, such as business lobby groups and unions, would be invited to discuss the most recent changes, she said.