The decision to award Victoria’s politicians an ‘obscene’ pay rise amid a deepening cost of living crisis has sparked outrage.
Victorian MPs will receive a 3.5 per cent pay bump from July 1, with the base salary for an MP now sitting at $198,839 per annum following a decision by an independent tribunal.
Daniel Andrews will remain Australia’s highest-paid premier on a boosted salary of $481,190, which includes $60,480 for expenses.
He previously earned $464,918, making it a $16,272 pay increase.
Mr Andrews earns roughly $100,000 less than Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who is understood to earn $564,354 in the top job.
Social commentator Prue MacSween said the ‘obscene’ pay rise was a slap in the face to households struggling to make ends meet, and accused politicians of being too busy chasing ‘woke projects’ to care.
‘Everyone is hurting with the cost of living and we’d all love a pay increase, but most businesses can’t afford it,’ she told Daily Mail Australia.
‘These politicians are lucky they can drink from the flowing well of the taxpayer. It’s a money funnel that never stops.
Daniel Andrews (pictured on Tuesday) will remain Australia’s highest-paid premier on a boosted salary of $481,190, which includes $60,480 for expenses
Mr Andrews earns roughly $100,000 less than Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (pictured with partner Jodie Haydon), who is understood to earn $564,354 in the top job
‘This is a slap in the face for the rest of us, given the mismanagement and poor decisions of politicians and bureaucrats which have helped create this inflation problem.
‘They’re so obsessed about chasing ideology with woke projects they aren’t focussed on the things that matter to us.
‘We hear a lot of platitudes from politicians about the crisis householders find themselves in, but these fat cats don’t have any idea what is really going on.’
Ms Macsween said families were struggling to pay their bills, put food on the table and pay their rent and mortgages in order to keep their houses.
‘Meanwhile, those in the political bubble enjoy all the trappings of a well-paid secure job courtesy of the rest of us,’ she said.
She called on MPs who wanted to retain any personal credibility to defer the raise.
‘It’s obscene and offensive, particularly given the poor calibre of politicians we have now. If any of them had one iota of conscience, they would say ‘no thanks’ to the pay increase,’ Ms Macsween said.
Victorian Deputy Premier Jacinta Allan will pocket a boosted $409,608 salary, while Opposition Leader John Pesutto will receive $383,760 per year.
Victorian MPs will also receive a generous 6.8 per cent increase to their international travel allowance, which will jump to $10,765.
Yearly expense allowances will range from $3,558 to $60,480.
Shadow ministers will receive an extra $17,375 per year plus $12,452 in expenses, bringing their total earnings to $228,666.
Victorian Deputy Premier Jacinta Allan (right) will pocket a boosted $409,608 while Opposition Leader John Pesutto will receive $383,760 per year
MPs electorate offices will receive a yearly allowance between $45,022 and $53,933 depending on the size of their electorate.
The motor vehicle allowance for MPs ‘who elect not to be provided with a fully maintained motor vehicle’ is now between $23,225 and $34,994 per year.
The 3.5 per cent pay rise follows a four-year review of MPs salaries by the Victorian Independent Remuneration Tribunal (VIRT).
In making its decision, the tribunal must consider the financial position of the state and the current and projected economic conditions.
Victorian Liberal MP Nick McGowan said residents had ‘every right to be annoyed and frustrated’ amid rising debt and cuts to other public service roles.
‘Teachers don’t get enough and a whole host of other public servants who won’t enjoy the same sort of pay rises as politicians do,’ he told the ABC.
‘They’re giving politicians a pay rise at the very time we’re stacking and retrenching public servants and those who have served our community.’
Victorian Liberal MP Nick McGowan (pictured) said residents had ‘every right to be annoyed and frustrated’ amid rising debt and cuts to other public service roles
He said there were a lot of ‘smoke and mirrors’ surrounding MPs salaries, which he said were a combination of salary, allowances and additional ancillary allowances.
Federal MPs received a 2.75 per cent increase this financial year which saw their pay boosted from $211,250 to $217,060 per year, excluding allowances and expenses.
The Fair Work Commission earlier earlier this month granted a 5.75 per cent increase in the minimum wage and national awards, which affected the pay of 2.67milion Australians – or one in four workers.
The national weekly, minimum wage is increasing by $70.29 a week to $882.89.
The annual wage review decision directly affects 184,000 workers on the minimum wage in the retail, hospitality, tourism and aviation sectors but has flow-on effects for many more on national awards from the start of July.
