13 July 2016

Chief Minister to earn just shy of $300k from July 1

| Charlotte
Join the conversation
8
ACT Legislative Assembly

The Chief Minister’s gig in the territory just became a whole lot more attractive, with its designated salary rising to almost $300,000 a year from July 1 after the ACT Remuneration Tribunal increased MLAs’ salaries by 4 per cent.

MLAs on a base salary will now take home $142,200 per year, while the Chief Minister (Andrew Barr initially and either Mr Barr or Opposition Leader Jeremy Hanson after the election) will be paid an annual salary of $299,000.

MLAs' loadings

In addition, MLAs receive car, travel and communications allowances and loadings depending on committee memberships and whether they are, for example, a minister, the speaker, or whip. These loadings are set out in the charts above and below.

MLAs' loadings

Senior ACT bureaucrats will receive a 2.5 per cent increase, in consideration of competition to attract high performing and capable executives to the ACT Public Service. The Tribunal flagged that it will undertake a review on ACTPS Executives salary and entitlements in the future.

The larger rise for MLAs was partly in recognition of the personal contributions that MLAs now make towards their own ongoing professional development following the abolition of study travel, according to a statement from the ACT Remuneration Tribunal.

The Tribunal has also increased the salary for the position of Clerk of the Legislative Assembly, currently Tom Duncan, by 10 per cent to $216,060 in recognition of increased responsibilities in an expanded assembly.

Meanwhile, judges in the ACT Supreme Court will be paid $420,810 under determinations announced today. The Chief Justice will be paid an additional $42,081 above that figure. The Associate Judge of the Supreme Court will be paid $378,729. These rates though announced today came into force January 1 this year.

See the full determinations of the tribunal here.

Join the conversation

8
All Comments
  • All Comments
  • Website Comments
LatestOldest

rommeldog56 said :

Does anyone seriously think that a 2.5% increase in top ACT Govt bureaucrats salary will attract any better quality top bureaucrats ?

er…you think somebody thinks that highly-remunerated positions in the ACT public service are advertised and then candidates are assessed on individual merit just like in the real world?

One look at what’s going on with the Eastman debacle should tell you all you need to know about whether “competence” is in any way relevant to how ACT Govt. employees get their jobs….

Masquara said :

dungfungus said :

The only contact most people will have with the court system in their life is getting the services of a Justice of The Peace.
These dedicated members of the community are virtually “on-call” 24/7 and have their private phone numbers published. To become a JP they must complete a TAFE course at a cost to them of several hundred dollars.
An the monetary reward they get? Zilch.
Meanwhile our judges get over $400K a year. Yes. I know, it’s a tough job but someone’s got to do it.

There is the tiniest smidgen of difference between the responsibilities of a JP and those of a judge. This is reflected in the miniscule difference in remuneration. Are you for real?

What you have said is factual but you have also entirely missed the point.
JPs can issue warrants of apprehension which I would think is a very responsible duty but I won’t boor you with any other trivia.

dungfungus said :

The only contact most people will have with the court system in their life is getting the services of a Justice of The Peace.
These dedicated members of the community are virtually “on-call” 24/7 and have their private phone numbers published. To become a JP they must complete a TAFE course at a cost to them of several hundred dollars.
An the monetary reward they get? Zilch.
Meanwhile our judges get over $400K a year. Yes. I know, it’s a tough job but someone’s got to do it.

There is the tiniest smidgen of difference between the responsibilities of a JP and those of a judge. This is reflected in the miniscule difference in remuneration. Are you for real?

If they offered $50,000/pa we’d get better performance out of them as they’d be there for the job rather than the pay.
It makes sense that someone who has experience earning money for themselves be able to manage the finances of a city like Canberra.

The only contact most people will have with the court system in their life is getting the services of a Justice of The Peace.
These dedicated members of the community are virtually “on-call” 24/7 and have their private phone numbers published. To become a JP they must complete a TAFE course at a cost to them of several hundred dollars.
An the monetary reward they get? Zilch.
Meanwhile our judges get over $400K a year. Yes. I know, it’s a tough job but someone’s got to do it.

I am so over the fat getting fatter at the expense of the average Joe. It just goes on & on. And of course it’s not their responsibility since they palmed it off to an “independent body”.

Speaking of Joe, remember the Joe we had who said “no more double dipping & no more age of entitlement”?
I think that Joe is off on foriegn shores getting paid handsomely for the second job after taking his pension payout for the first & while quietly accepting the “perks” of both jobs. (you know, travel, office staff, expenses . . . that sort of stuff).

But I know my place. I can wait quietly, hoping expectantly for the “trickle down”.

Well I guess with the Assembly size increasing to lessen the burden on the current members, the ACT Remuneration Tribunal will soon have less work on MLA’s salaries.
Indeed we could even see the Tribunal arrange a decrease in salaries ..
( did i hear a chuckle somewhere ?)

So, MLAs loose their study travel entitlement (because it was clearly being abused !) and its compensated for (in part, I suppose) in their salary ? That makes perfect sense. ROFL. It’s comical.

The Clerk of the LA et a 10% pay rise because of increased responsibilities (must mean the increased workload ?) because of the increased numbers of MLAs after the upcoming ACT LA election (which both parties voted for !). How many workers wish they got a 10% salary rise when their work responsibilities/workload increased !!! Bugger…..I’ve been ripped off by employers most of my life then.

Does anyone seriously think that a 2.5% increase in top ACT Govt bureaucrats salary will attract any better quality top bureaucrats ? This is no doubt being done in anticipation of needing many more senior bureaucrats to head up newly created ACT Gov’t Departments because there will be many more of those post the election because thee will be more “Ministers”.

Well I suppose that the salary increases for ACT Labor/Greens MLAs is useful so that they can afford to pay for all the rates and charges that they are so rapidly increasing – not to mention those forthcoming increases to pay for things like the tram.

An irony is that these MLA and bureaucrat salary increases will flow through to the newly expanded LA and so also increase that cost.

Daily Digest

Want the best Canberra news delivered daily? Every day we package the most popular Riotact stories and send them straight to your inbox. Sign-up now for trusted local news that will never be behind a paywall.

By submitting your email address you are agreeing to Region Group's terms and conditions and privacy policy.