The Conversations: A 'wage freeze' can come with unintended consequences 12 May, 2021 12:04 AM 5 minutes to read Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Finance Minister Grant Robertson. Photo / File Other OPINION: You would be hard pressed to find an economist who would argue against the merits of fiscal responsibility and controlling government debt. This is why it was so hard to believe the Government's rationale for a public sector wage freeze when it is already pouring upwards of $50 billion into the economy in response to Covid-19. But fiscal responsibility and the need for "moderation and restraint" were indeed the justifications for the proposed three-year freeze – or "restraint" – on public sector wages over $60,000 (except in exceptional circumstances).