South Australia has its first $750,000 public servant, chief of the Department of Premier and Cabinet, Damien Walker
South Australia’s top public servant is paid more than three quarters of a million dollars a year and makes $300,000 more than the state’s premier.
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The pay packet of the state’s top public servant Damien Walker has soared past $750,000 after the chief of the Department of Premier and Cabinet secured a pay rise of more than $25,000.
Mr Walker’s total bumper pay packet, including superannuation, is now $760,035 a year, outstripping the salary of Premier Peter Malinauskas by more than $300,000.
Mr Walker’s total pay the previous year was $734,589.
Mr Malinauskas’s annual salary is about $418,000.
Mr Walker is not alone is winning a fat pay rise, meaning that 20 of the state’s public servants now earn more than the Premier of the state.
A spokesman for the Commissioner for Public Sector Employment said cabinet had agreed a 3 per cent increase for all chief executives from July 1.
Co-leader of the SA Greens Robert Simms said he would consider introducing legislation to cap the pay of public servants so they could not be paid more than the premier.
“These chief executives are being paid an obscene amount of money in a cost-of-living crisis,’’ Mr Simms said.
“It’s hard to justify any departmental chief executive being paid more than the premier or the prime minister.
“I think we need to look at the issue of chief executive salaries,’’ he said.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is paid about $607,000.
The state’s second-highest paid public servant is Health chief executive Robyn Lawrence, who takes home $698,358 a year. Ms Lawrence’s salary jumped from $674,977.
Police Commissioner Grant Stevens’ salary has jumped to $666,658 from $647,241. Department of Treasury and Finance chief Rick Persse has a pay package worth $672,516. Mr Stevens is also entitled to a further 4.2 per cent employer superannuation contribution.
The salary packages of chief executives can include motor vehicles, car parking, employer superannuation and salary sacrificed superannuation. Several chief executives take advantage of salary sacrifice options.
Department of Human Services chief executive Lois Boswell’s remuneration includes only $72,701 under “salary and allowances”, with a further $385,000 accounted for under “salary sacrifice superannuation”.
Defence SA chief executive Matt Opie lists $50,000 under “salary and allowances”, with a further $349,009 accounted for under “salary sacrifice superannuation”.
Public Service Association general secretary Natasha Brown said that in real terms her members’ wages had fallen in recent years due to inflation.
“We are fighting for wage rises for everyday public servants that recognise the current cost of living and labour market realities,’’ she said.
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Originally published as South Australia has its first $750,000 public servant, chief of the Department of Premier and Cabinet, Damien Walker
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