Hon MICHAEL WOOD (Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety): Our Government is raising the minimum wage to $21.20 per hour from 1 April. We recognise that many New Zealanders who earn the minimum wage have been vital to our successful COVID-19 response and we're committed to supporting them by raising their wages as we continue to recover and rebuild from the pandemic. We've settled on a minimum wage rate that strikes a fair balance to ensure that working people's pay increases in a sustainable way, knowing that our low-income earners will spend their wages back in their local communities with local businesses.