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Victoria’s Prime Minister Daniel Andrews will maintain his position as Australia’s highest-paying state leader after an independent court grants all members of parliament a 2.75% salary increase.
Andrews pockets A $ 465,000 (US $ 322,589) annually. This includes expenses and allowances of up to $ 58,435. Victoria’s next Deputy Jacinta Alan will bring almost $ 400,000 back to her home.
Meanwhile, the annual income of all Victorian legislators exceeds $ 192,000, an increase of approximately $ 5,000 from 2021-22.
The Prime Minister of Victoria defended the decision to increase the annual base of independent courts, saying, “We have not set our wages. It is a change. [the government] make. “
“The state has been in such a difficult situation over the last few years that it was appropriate to make special arrangements, but it is independent and I personally make their own decisions about these things. I’ll leave it to you, “he told reporters.
“I’m sure my colleagues, and others on the other side of the house, are people who work as hard as they can every day. They contribute in many different ways.”
Andrews became the highest paid premiere in 2019 for the first time with an annual salary of A $ 441,000. An independent court gave him a 11.8% salary increase compared to the 2% salary increase offered to police, paramedics, and train drivers.
At the federal level, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s salary will reach up to A $ 564,000 from 2022, and opposition leader Peter Dutton will earn A $ 401,000 annually.
Australians borne by the pressure of living expenses
Wage increases will occur as Australians continue to cope with the cost of living crisis, including an inflation rate of 5.1%. In response, the centre-left federal government supported raising the national worker’s minimum wage, arguing that wage rates should “should not recede.”
Andrews has been severely criticized for his government’s strict blockade of COVID-19, one of the longest in the world.
In 2021, Victoria’s economy is estimated to have lost more than A $ 700 million (US $ 485 million) a week since the blockade began, bottoming out corporate and consumer confidence levels.
The majority of lawmakers last year vowed to donate their increase to charity, but it’s unclear whether Andrews and opposition leader Matthew Guy will donate their next salary increase to charity.
Andrews said Saint Herald He usually donated to various purposes “without fanfare or shows”.
“It’s our private business. We do it and we’re happy to do it.”
“Disappointed”
The move has been criticized by Victorian Party co-founder Bill Lang, who said that raising politicians’ salaries would not benefit Victorians.
“For the last few years we’ve all been together, but these people haven’t been together, and politicians in all the color T-shirts they wear accept salary increases as an independent court. It’s a shame to see it, it’s not right, “he said. 3AW Talk Radio.
Mr Lang said politicians can get salary increases each year without performance indicators.
“At first you can say whatever you like so that you are chosen, and if you are all strong, you can do whatever you want in those four years.”
“It’s hard to say that these people in court are actually doing the assessment, taking into account the views of all Victorians.”
Wage increases will be effective from 1st July.
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Nina Nguyen is a Sydney-based reporter. She covers Australian news with a focus on social, cultural and identity issues. She is fluent in Vietnamese. Contact her at [email protected].
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