Pollie payrise: State MPs to pocket payrise worth tens of thousands

STATE politicians are set to win a pay hike worth tens of thousands of dollars as Victorians struggle with soaring power bills.

• Living costs push families to the brink
• Victorian families in power bill panic
• Fight back against high energy bills
• Quarterly power bill debt shock

STATE politicians are set to win a pay hike worth tens of thousands of dollars as Victorians struggle with soaring power bills.

A new system for paying our Spring St politicians will go before state parliament later this year that will determine what they are worth. Federal politicians conducted a similar review that increased their pay by almost $45,000.

The bump-up for state MPs, who earn about $150,000, plus tens of thousands of dollars in entitlements, is likely to be smaller than the Canberra hike, but still substantial.

The rorts of Labor MPs Don Nardella and Telmo Languiller prompted the review, which will likely see politicians lose some murky entitlements.

It comes as ordinary Victorians are feeling the pinch, with almost half saying they have not had a pay rise for more than three years, according to a Sunday Herald Sun poll of more than 2100 readers.

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Don Nardella sitting in the House of Representatives. Picture: Jason Edwards

The poll also found that almost one in 10 Victorian households were going without food to pay power bills.

And one-fifth of Victorians are now spending more than $4000 on utility bills every year.

Overall, 79 per cent of Victorians feel their cost of living has gone up more in the past five years than it ever has before.

Greens MP Sam Hibbins slammed the prospect of a pay hike, and said MPs would try to “wash their hands” of decisions about higher salaries.

“I think pollies are on a pretty good wicket in terms of pay. I would be gobsmacked if anyone thought we should get a big increase,” he said.

In Canberra, when a scheme valued the work of federal MPs in 2011, backbencher pay soared by almost $45,000 in return for axeing some entitlements. It is worth $203,000.

Greens MP Sam Hibbins slammed the prospect of a pay hike. Picture: Carmelo Bazzano

The Sunday Herald Sun can reveal the government plans to build some safeguards into the remuneration tribunal system.

Special Minister of State Gavin Jennings sent a letter to MPs last week about the new scheme.

Mr Jennings said MP pay would be assessed against other professions, and an overhaul would “stop MPs determining their own salaries and ensure only legitimate work expenses can be claimed”.

“The independent Remuneration Tribunal will review existing salary and allowances, with MP pay assessed against other professions and the number of allowances reduced,” he said.

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