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Treasury statistics show the wage gap between New Zealand and Australia has narrowed slightly.
In 2006 wages in Australia were 30.7 per cent higher than in New Zealand.
The latest figures for this year show they are 27.6 per cent higher.
Radio New Zealand obtained the figures under the Official Information Act.
National's finance spokesman, Bill English, said the statistics were a political jack-up.
He released Treasury documents sent to Finance Minister Michael Cullen's office last month which said the margin of error in the calculations made it difficult to draw firm conclusions about the wage gap.
Mr English said Dr Cullen ordered the Treasury to update the statistics anyway.
The Council of Trade Unions said the pay gap with Australia grew by 50.4 per cent in the 1990s and had shrunk by 2.6 per cent since 2000.
"The real issue is the gap in gross wages," said CTU president Helen Kelly.
"Of course tax cuts help a tiny bit to close the gap, but that risks higher levels of public debt and cuts in public services."
- NZPA
