Hipkins chips off old policies, hikes minimum wage

As well as scrapping contentious policies, new Labour prime minister Chris Hipkins is promising the biggest aggregate minimum wage hike in decades.Speaking on Wednesday, Hipkins said cabinet agreed to increase the minimum wage in line with the consumers price index (CPI), taking the new baseline to $22.70 from April 1.The $1.50 an hour hike is the largest aggregate increase since at least 1997. “In tough times, it’s critical to support those who struggle the most to make ends meet,” Hipkins said.“Those on low income...