State government’s proposed pay and donations law changes to be blocked by opposition

NEW laws to allow a tribunal to decide the pay rates of state MPs have been rejected by the state opposition, which says proposed changes would gift Premier Daniel Andrews a pay rise.

NEW laws to allow a tribunal to set salaries of state MPs have been rejected by the state opposition, which says proposed changes would gift Premier Daniel Andrews a pay rise.

And a separate Bill that would increase public funding of state elections by about $40 million in exchange for strict limits on private donations will also be opposed by the Liberals and Nationals.

Following a party room meeting this morning, Shadow Special Minister of State Ryan Smith said the Independent Remuneration Tribunal laws were flawed.

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“Daniel Andrews has no policies to deal with cost of living pressures but instead is trying to give himself a pay rise,” he said.

“The only pay rise Daniel Andrews is interested in is his own.”

Ryan Smith criticised the proposed changes. Picture: Supplied

The bill was designed to get rid of a murky raft of allowances and entitlements, after a second residence allowance was rorted by former Speaker Telmo Languiller and his deputy Don Nardella.

They were introduced to State Parliament in December but have not been debated in the lower house.

The proposed remuneration tribunal would decide on MP pay levels based on a work value assessment, and remove some perks such as the allowance Mr Languiller and Mr Nardella rorted.

A similar work value test done for federal MPs a few years ago resulted in them getting generous pay rises.

Both the remuneration tribunal bill and the donations bill may still get through State Parliament if backed by the Greens and cross bench MPs in the upper house.

The changes were sparked by a scandal involving Melton MP Don Nardella. Picture: Nicole Garmston

Telmo Languiller was also forced to stand down as speaker. Picture: Tim Carrafa

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The government’s leader in the Upper House, Gavin Jennings, said the Opposition had walked away from negotiations on the bills in an “act of political stupidity”.

He said it threatened the pay and allowances reforms, designed after the second allowance scandal, included in the remuneration tribunal legislation.

“Those things are very important for all Victorians to have greater confidence in the way in which MPs entitlements, their wages are set,” Mr Jennings.

“Matthew Guy and his team have chosen to walk away from that and they’ve chosen to be less accountable.”

However, opposing the two contentious pieces of legislation is designed to give the Coalition room to attack the government over the cost of living pressures.

The donations laws would ban foreign donations, limit private donations to $4000 a term, and increase the money political parties get from taxpayers for each vote they earn.

Other elements of the Bill would see greater control around signage near polling booths and change the way voters can cast ballots prior to polling day.

Mr Smith said the coalition was committed to “real electoral and donation reform and not fake electoral and donation reform”.

“Daniel Andrews has proposed a model that is designed to give one political party a political advantage over others,” he said.

Reason Party crossbencher Fiona Patten said the donations bill would “wipe out” minor parties, which had not been consulted.

“There is no doubt that this would stymie democracy,” she said.

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