The message will likely come in the form of a letter of intent – something ministers often send out to their ministries and departments when a new Government is elected.
"Clearly, Covid-19 has had a big impact on the whole country – I don't think people would expect anything less," Robertson said.
He added that all New Zealanders have been going through a very challenging and difficult period.
Robertson would not go into detail as to what that letter would explicitly say.
"All I'm saying is everyone will understand this will be a period of pay restraint."
Minister of State-Owned Enterprises David Clark was similarly tight-lipped – he would only say the letters were "still in development".
"I'll have more to say when they [the letters] are finished, out and ready to send."
State-Owned Enterprises are partly Government-owned – Air NZ, Mercury, Genesis and Meridian are all 51 per cent owned by the Government.
But they are all publicly listed on New Zealand's stock market. As such, the Government cannot explicitly direct bosses not to increase their pay.
But Ministers are within their rights to make their expectations known to these companies.
Last year, the Herald reported that Robertson had asked the chairs of the country's three biggest power companies and Air New Zealand not to give themselves and the companies' directors a pay rise.
"As you know," the letters said, "this Government is committed to raising pay levels for those on low and middle incomes and we, and the public, expect restraint on director remuneration."
"Given this, I do not support any increase in director remuneration during this term of Parliament."
And this year, the heads of the Government's departments and ministries all took a 20 per cent pay cut.
"It is the right thing to do, and I acknowledge chief executives for volunteering to take the pay cut alongside us," Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said at the time.
