The Tasmanian Industrial Commission has proposed parliamentarian salaries rise in line with the consumer price index and wage price index which means politicians will see their wages rise faster than those received by public servants.
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The commission stated the proposal in an issues paper released on Monday to review parliamentarian base salaries and allowances beyond June 30.
Last year, the WPI and CPI was at 2.2 per cent in Tasmania – more than the national average.
The government has a public servant wages policy of 2 per cent – an amount which the state’s unions are opposed to.
A member of state parliament is currently paid a base salary of $133,560 but receives extra money through various car, travel, accommodation, and electorate allowances, and for committee work.
The Premier also receives an extra $115,000 and Deputy Premier an extra $82,000.
A minister receives $70,000 – the same as the state’s Opposition Leader – and the Deputy Opposition Leader receives an additional $35,000.
Tasmanian state MPs are the lowest paid of all the states.
A state parliamentarian 22 years ago receiving a basic wage of $68,372.
A 2016 TIC report, which recommended wages go up 10.5 per cent in 2017 and 2018, said parliamentarian salaries had increased at a lesser rate than the public service and had been less than half the rate of increase in public service wages over the past five years.
In the recent issues paper, the commission said there had been significant wage restraint in recent years and the state government’s current policy was to increase salaries by the cost of living.
“The commission is of the preliminary view that an increase in the salary of MPs should be in line with WPI and the increase in the allowances should increase by CPI on an interim basis,” it said.
It has invited submissions on the proposal which will go on to inform a final report, expected to be published by April 13.
