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National’s Māori development spokesperson says whānau Māori will pay a price for the increase in the minimum wage.
The rate went up by $1.20 on Monday to $17.70, the biggest ever increase to the minimum hourly wage.
Nuk Korako says wage increases should be delivered by employers as a natural result of increased productivity.
"Who do you think pays for these large dictated wage increases? It's not the government. It's ordinary Māori whānau trying to make ends meet. They will pay for this wage increase through increased costs of goods and services. Business has to pass the cost on to someone and that someone is really our Māori whānau," he says.
He is already seeing small businesses in Ōtautahi shedding jobs because of the minimum wage rise.
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