Victoria’s Premier and ministers are still on track to receive an 11.8 per cent pay rise at a time when hundreds of thousands of people are losing their jobs or taking significant pay cuts, Health Minister Jenny Mikakos has confirmed. The state’s independent remuneration tribunal last year deemed Premier Daniel Andrews worthy of a $46,522 pay rise from July 1, 2020, bringing his total salary to $441,439, while backbenchers’ base salaries are set to rise from $163,189 to $182,413.
Ministers and Opposition Leader Michael O’Brien — who has called for politicians’ pay to be frozen — are set to have their salaries rise 11.8 per cent to $352,057.
Asked whether it was reasonable to still accept the pay rise in light of the economic downturn caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Ms Mikakos said the decision had been made by the independent tribunal. “But I’ve got nothing to add on that issue,” Ms Mikakos said. “I know (politicians) are working incredibly hard at the moment to support their constituents in terms of COVID-19 response, and that’s not just a personal reflection, but I just wanted to say that I know that many in our community are doing it tough.”
Asked whether the government could request that the remuneration tribunal reconsider the pay rise in light of changed economic circumstances, Ms Mikakos said the decision was not part of her portfolio responsibility.
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