Scott Morrison approves $1m worth of top-up payments for staffers

Scott Morrison has personally approved top-up payments for staffers averaging more than $32,000 a year, with the government desperate to hold on to key personnel heading into next year’s election.

Scott Morrison has personally approved top-up payments for 30 staffers averaging more than $32,000 a year, as the government faces a battle to keep key personnel. AAP Image/Sean Davey

EXCLUSIVE: Scott Morrison has personally approved top-up payments for 30 staffers averaging more than $32,000 a year, as the government faces a battle to keep key personnel.

The Herald Sun can reveal taxpayers will foot an annual bill of around $1 million after the Prime Minister exercised his special power to grant staff members the extra wages.

It is believed all or most of the 30 staffers work for the government, with the Opposition confirming none of the new top-up payments have gone to Labor staffers.

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At least 32 staff working for the government, Opposition and crossbench are now paid “above the band”, boosting some of their salaries higher than a backbench MP.

Under their workplace agreement, staffers can be paid a maximum ­salary of $259,000, which is already well above the $203,030 wage of most federal MPs.

But Mr Morrison used a special power in the Members of Parliament (Staff) Act 1984 shortly after taking over the leadership to give the staffers pay rises higher than they are entitled to under their enterprise agreement.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison personally approve the pay rises shortly after taking over the leadership

In October, there was a record 36 staff receiving the special top-ups totalling $1.2 million a year — but four staffers left because of the toppling of former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull.

It comes as there has been considerable concern within government ranks about attracting talented staff at a time when the Coalition’s chances of winning the next election are viewed as terminal.

Taxpayers forked out more than $4.5 million for the redundancy packages of almost 100 staff who quit the federal government following the ousting of Mr Turnbull.

During his three years in the top job, Mr Turnbull approved at least 30 staff for above-the-band salaries with an annual bill of $840,000.

Labor senator Kimberley Kitching said the Coalition was “seriously out of touch”.

“Scott Morrison is Santa Claus when it comes to paying his Liberal mates but Scrooge when it comes to the wages of everyone else,” he said.

A spokesman for Special Minister of State Alex Hawke said the extra payments ensured staff were appropriately paid for their skills and experience including staff who were on leave without pay from the public service.

According to government documents, the previous Labor government topped up the pay of 41 Labor staffers as of June 2013 using a “personal classification” method, whereby staff were paid a salary higher than their actual position.

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