Politicians’ salaries soar as taxpayers foot the bill for flights and books
FEDERAL politicians will be paid more than $200,000 a year after winning a salary jump that will give Malcolm Turnbull a $10,000 pay rise from the same day that tax cuts for the wealthy kick in.
NSW
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FEDERAL politicians will be paid more than $200,000 a year for the first time after winning a salary jump that will give Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull a $10,000 pay rise from the same day that tax cuts for the wealthy kick in.
Despite wages stagnating across the country, Mr Turnbull will be $17,000 better off after a 2 per cent pay rise for public servants, including fat cat bureaucrats and judges, and the expiry of the deficit levy next week.
That takes the salary of an average backbencher to more than $200,000 at the same time those earning over $180,000 have their tax rates lowered by 2 per cent as the levy ends.
Private sector workers received an average pay rise of just 1.8 per cent in the 12 months to the end of March.
Labor, which wants to keep the deficit levy in place, has already seized on its expiry, which will happen the day before Sunday penalties wages are slashed by up to $77.
Mr Turnbull will receive $10,350 extra next year on top of his $517,500 salary, and benefits from a $6750 tax cut.
The pay decision, made by the Remuneration Tribunal, comes as parliamentary expenditure reports revealed MPs charging hundreds of thousands of dollars in travel and admin costs to taxpayers in the last six months of 2016.
Former health minister Sussan Ley emerged as one of the biggest spenders, racking up more than $455,600 in expenses — including on several trips to the Gold Coast.
Ms Ley resigned as health minister after it was revealed she purchased a Gold Coast unit for $795,000 in May 2015 while travelling on ministerial business.
Ms Ley then claimed it was an impulse purchase.
The latest expense reports show Ms Ley visited the Gold Coast five times in the last six months of 2016, with those trips, all for official business, costing more than $12,000.
Labor leader Bill Shorten spent $35,000 on a six-day trip the Canada and the US, when he skipped Parliament to meet popular Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Mr Shorten will take home $375,588 a year after July 1, compared to $368,224, and receives a $3911 tax cut.
The bumper pay rise comes after a salary increase freeze put in place by former prime minister Tony Abbott in 2014.
Pay increases for politicians were also frozen for 18 months by Kevin Rudd following the global financial crisis.
But the tribunal, in its decision, said there had been a “notable increase in submissions ... based at least in part on private sector remuneration”.
A rule change under the former Labor government means MPs can’t veto the pay rise even if they wanted.
Australian Taxpayers’ Alliance executive director Tim Andrews condemned the decision from the tribunal.
“It is an absolute disgrace that at the same time our politicians are raising taxes on struggling families and we have over $500 billion in debt our political class is rewarding itself with more lavish pay rises,” he said.
Former trade minister Andrew Robb claimed a $1300 return flight from Melbourne to Canberra in August, a month after quitting Parliament and taking a consulting job with an annual salary of $880,000 for a Chinese billionaire.
The expense reports, released by the Department of Finance yesterday afternoon, show a bonanza of books, magazines, travel and office purchases charged to the taxpayer by politicians of all stripes.
Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce charged more than $2870 in six months for books and publications including two Harry Potter novels, Cool Mythology: Filled With Fantastic Facts For Kids Of All Ages, Building A Minecraft City and Beef Agskills: A Practical Guide to Farm Skills. MPs often donate kids’ books to school libraries.
Greens senator Lee Rhiannon charged taxpayers for her support of homeless people by claiming back the $140 cost of buying 25 issues of The Big Issue.
She also spent $1683 on publications including 44 copies of the Green Left Weekly and Economics For Everyone: A Short Guide To The Economics Of Capitalism.
Ms Rhiannon said it was a “completely legitimate use of the publications allowance provided to all MPs”.
POLLIES PERK UP
2 PER CENT pay rise for all federal politicians from July 1
4 PER CENT wage rise when coupled with end of deficit levy
$200,000 +: Wages for MPs to break this barrier for the first time
$8000: how much better off backbenchers will be
$17,000: How much better off PM Malcolm Turnbull will be
BARNABY JOYCE
Bought bundles of children’s books including Harry Potter And The Cursed Child, Harry Potter And The Philosopher’s Stone, Cool Mythology: Filled With Fantastic Facts For Kids Of All Ages, as well as Beef Agskills: A Practical Guide To Farm Skills
SUSSAN LEY
Former health minister visited the Gold Coast, where she controversially purchased a holiday house while on a taxpayer-funded trip in 2015, on official business a number of times, often driving from Brisbane
BILL SHORTEN
$35,000 for a six-day trip to Canada and the US, when he skipped parliament to meet popular Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
LEE RHIANNON
Hard-left Greens MP spent $1683 on magazines and books including 44 copies of the Green Left Weekly and Economics For Everyone: A Short Guide To The Economics Of Capitalism
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