Federal MPs and public office holders to receive pay increase of 2.75 per cent from July 1, Remuneration Tribunal announces

The pay rise of 2.75 per cent for all Federal MPs means Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's salary will be more than $564,000.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and leader of the Opposition Peter Dutton are set to get a pay rise ahead of the Fair Work Commission’s minimum wage increase on Wednesday.

The independent Commonwealth Remuneration Tribunal has ordered a 2.75 per cent wage increase for Federal MPs and public office holders from July 1.

This means the Prime Minister’s salary will boost to more than $564,356 a year, while the Opposition leader’s annual income will increase to $401,561.

The pay rise of 2.75 per cent follows a freeze on wage increases which took effect in July 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Before this year’s wage increase politicians were awarded a pay rise of two per cent in 2017, 2018 and 2019.

“While the work performed by the wide variety of offices in the tribunal’s jurisdiction, including members of parliament, is diverse and unique, the tribunal is conscious of ensuring that relativities within the group of offices for which it determines remuneration remain consistent,” the tribunal said.

While the pay rise is not in line with inflation – which stands at 5.1 per cent – the base salary of a backbencher will jump to to $217,060, meaning the lowest paid federal MP will rake in more than 97 per cent of Australians.

It comes as the Fair Work Commission is set to deliver its review of the increase to the minimum wages on Wednesday morning.

The decision will affect more than 2.6 million low-income earners with unions pushing for a 5.5 per cent increase to prevent further pay cuts to a quarter of all workers.

In 2021 the national minimum wage rose by 2.5 per cent to $772.60 a week, or $20.33 an hour.

The Fair Work Commission will hand down its decision at 10:00am on Wednesday.

https://www.skynews.com.au/australia-news/federal-mps-and-public-office-holders-to-receive-pay-increase-of-275-per-cent-from-july-1-remuneration-tribunal-announces/news-story/8c04c555a79bbc84110ca0f635f062e0