MP pay boost: One-off pay hikes of up to $300,000 a year for bureaucrats opens up moves to raise pay

[Noth]

[img]http://media.news.com.au/cs/newscomau/v2/_shared/base/css/images/icons/homepage-title.png[/img] Source: [url]http://www.news.com.au/national/our-politicians-hit-pay-dirt/story-e6frfkvr-1226154555844[/url]
[img]http://resources3.news.com.au/images/2011/01/23/1225993/228183-parliament-house.jpg[/img]
One-off pay hikes of up to $300,000 a year have been approved for high-ranking bureaucrats. Picture: Supplied Source: Herald Sun

[release][B]FEDERAL politicians could be set for extraordinary pay rises, with the salaries of backbenchers tipped to almost double to $250,000.[/B]

Writing exclusively in The Daily Telegraph today, columnist Laurie Oakes said MPs expected backbencher and senator base salaries to rise $110,000 from $140,000.

The Prime Minister's, ministers' and shadow ministers' even bigger paypackets may also rise in line.

The Federal Remuneration Tribunal is expected to make an initial report on political perks before the end of the year, with politicians expecting to trade extra payments such as allowances for bigger personal pay packets.

Any pay rise would likely trigger anger among unions, already unhappy about revelations this week the Tribunal was set to award five key top federal public servants pay rises of $250,000 to $300,000 - taking the chiefs of Defence and Customs, the Tax Commissioner, Auditor-General and the Australian Statistician to $800,000.

MPs receive a raft of handouts on top of their salaries including electorate allowances of up to $50,000, printing allowances of $75,000, a resettlement allowance when they lose office and post-career perks such as life gold passes for free domestic travel.

Ms Gillard, who earns $366,366, could earn as much as $650,000 under any new system, while Opposition Leader Tony Abbott's $259,000 could rise to $479,000.

The Tribunal would not say whether any rises would flow on to state and local governments, as can occur with annual rises.

This week increases to NSW MPs' pay and entitlements were capped at 2.5 per cent.

Community and Public Sector Union assistant national secretary Louise Persse said such big pay rises were not a good look when its members were being told to accept pay rises of 3 per cent.

"There is no doubt that our public service heads and politicians work hard and should be paid appropriately," she said.

"However, for the thousands of public sector staff across Australia on modest incomes, these increases may seem a bit rich."

Opposition frontbencher Barnaby Joyce, who has called for the Prime Minister's salary to top $1 million, backed paying politicians more but said he would be surprised if the rise was so much.

[B]Is this payrise fair to the rest of us mere mortals? Tell us below[/B][/release]

[DrBreen]

no politician no mater how good deserves over 300.000 a year.

[Zero-Point]

Last I heard they actually voted on this shit themselves. Wouldn't that be nice?
"I think I deserve a raise."
"Hear hear!"
"I concur!"
"You sure do!"
"Then it's settled, another $300,000 a year for me!"

[Antdawg]

Keep in mind those in the United States that although our dollars are nearly equal, everything here is far more expensive anyways (I'm sure we all know of $90USD games on Steam for Australians). $300,000 is still a lot of money anyways, should be far less than that.

[carcarcargo]

[QUOTE=DrBreen;32556079]no politician no mater how good deserves over 300.000 a year.[/QUOTE]

I don't know, by the looks of poor Obama's hair line I think he deserves it.

Also considering everything in Australia is expensive you'd probably need that much.

[Antdawg]

[QUOTE=carcarcargo;32560537]I don't know, by the looks of poor Obama's hair line I think he deserves it.

Also considering everything in Australia is expensive you'd probably need that much.[/QUOTE]

I'm willing to bet politicians can survive on $150,000 salaries, being politicians they probably (I'm not sure) get tax cuts as well.

[mdakin]

I'm willing to bet they could live on $50,000 a year if they tried, you don't have to have luxury items all the time.

[A B.A. Survivor]

These boys certainly know how to do up the house.

[Zero-Point]

[QUOTE=Antdawg;32560650]I'm willing to bet politicians can survive on $150,000 salaries, being politicians they probably (I'm not sure) get tax cuts as well.[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=Wipmuck;32565477]I'm willing to bet they could live on $50,000 a year if they tried, you don't have to have luxury items all the time.[/QUOTE]

Many officials also have their homes furnished for them, so no mortgage to worry about, and some even have their utilities covered as well as transportation provided for them, so I've heard.

[Megafan]

[QUOTE=A B.A. Survivor;32565491]These boys certainly know how to do up the house.[/QUOTE]
And they're taking home a pretty tidy pay pension too.