Coronavirus: Simon Bridges 'open' to taking a paycut amid COVID-19 pandemic

Simon Bridges is "open" to having his pay docked while New Zealand battles the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Leader of the Opposition said he can understand the point of a pay cut "in a way".

"Tens of thousands of people are lining up now for Jobseekers Support - let alone those who are having a reduction in their salaries," he told Magic Talk on Monday morning.

"That's definitely a phenomenon."

Bridges said before he came to a decision, there would need to be discussion across Parliament.

"It's not something that there's been a cross-party discussion across it yet - and just as New Zealand is in it together, Parliament would need to be in it together."

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has said she would not rule out taking a pay cut alongside her Cabinet Ministers and other MPs, as pressure mounts on them to "feel the economic impact" of COVID-19 in the same way other Kiwis already have.

The talk of pay cuts for politicians follows a petition launched by Magic Talk's Ryan Bridge. 

The petition asks MPs to take a 20 percent cut in salary to prove the point that New Zealand is "all in it together".

"Most ministers in Cabinet earn nearly $300,000, around $250,000 more than the average NZ salary of around $50,000," ," reads the petition.

Bridge's petition has more than 800 signatures.