Tasmanian Politicians Cashed Up: MPs to Pocket $30,000 Pay Rise Despite Government’s Furious Backlash
- Tasmanian politicians have been handed a whopping 22 per cent pay increase, amounting to a $30,000 boost to their base salary.
- The Industrial Commission’s ruling has sparked outrage, with Premier Jeremy Rockliff vowing to personally reject the rise and instead take a 3 per cent increase.
- The government’s bid to block the pay hike was thwarted in the upper house, where Labor and independents sided with the commission’s recommendation.
In a shocking turn of events, Tasmanian MPs are set to receive a staggering 22 per cent pay rise, despite the government’s fierce opposition to the move. The Industrial Commission’s ruling will see the base salary of politicians surge by $30,000 to $171,527, effective from July 1.
Premier Jeremy Rockliff has expressed his disgust at the decision, stating he will personally reject the 22 per cent increase and instead opt for a 3 per cent pay rise, in line with the government’s recent offer to public sector workers.
However, the government’s motion to disallow the salary increase failed in the upper house, where Labor and all eight independents voted to accept the Industrial Commission’s recommendation. The motion was defeated 4 votes to 10.
Independent Bec Thomas echoed similar sentiments, saying, “Imagine the outrage if nurses, public servants, paramedics, police officers or construction workers even were not provided with a salary increase for seven years. There would be strikes and public outrage and media outrage in support of those workers.”
Meanwhile, Meg Webb suggested that politicians who wanted to reject the pay rise could simply opt to reimburse the state or donate the extra money to charity, emphasizing the need for a principled decision rather than a personal one.
The pay rise has sparked heated debate, with some arguing that it’s unrealistic to expect politicians to determine their own salaries. As Ruth Forrest put it, “We should not be able to amend or reject the umpire’s decision, and that’s what we’re being asked to do. And that’s wrong, it’s inappropriate, and I’m so disappointed to find ourselves here.”