Coronavirus: ‘Give-a-little’ Victorian Labor ministers keep major pay rise

The ministers will keep a major pay boost after deciding to donate only part of a salary increase to COVID-19-­related charities.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews in Melbourne on Wednesday. Picture: AAP

Victoria’s Premier and ministers will keep a major pay boost after deciding to donate only part of a salary increase to COVID-19-­related charities.

In Labor’s second significant backdown in 24 hours, Premier ­Daniel Andrews ordered all govern­ment ministers to forgo a 4.8 per cent taxpayer-funded pay rise timed for July 1.

Labor’s cabinet members have already pocketed a 7 per cent rise since September, amid increasing calls for polit­icians to make a sacrifice in the wake of widespread ­financial hardship caused by the pandemic.

“All government MPs will make donations to COVID-19-­related causes equivalent to the uplift in their take-home pay from July 1, 2020, to June 30, 2021,” a government spokesman said.

In Queensland, Premier Anna­stacia Palaszczuk announced on Thursday that a 2.5 per cent pay increas­e for state public servants had been put “on hold” amid widespread anger after it was revealed in The Australian on Wednesday.

A spokesman for Ms Palasz­czuk said she would be writing to the Independent Remuneration Tribunal to ensure politicians’ pay was frozen this year.

“The Premier says there will be no pay rises for politicians in Queensland,’’ he said.

The pay decision comes after Victorian Health Minister Jenny Mikakos confirmed earlier on Thursday that Mr Andrews and his ministers were still on track to receive the 4.8 per cent pay rise.

The about-face by the Andrews government followed Wednesday’s dropping of the “love ban” on couples who don’t live together.

Last year, the Victorian Independent Remuneration Tribunal deemed Mr Andrews worthy of a $46,522 pay rise from July 1, 2020, bringing his total salary to $441,439. Backbenchers’ base sal­ar­­ies are set to rise from $163,189 to $182,413.

Ministers and Opposition Leader Michael O’Brien, who has called for politicians’ pay to be ­frozen, are set to have their salaries rise by 11.8 per cent to $352,057. But by Thursday afternoon, a spokeswoman for Mr Andrews confirmed that Labor MPs would ­donate the upcoming 4.8 per cent of that pay rise to charity.

Taking questions from The Australian on Thursday morning, Ms Mikakos said the pay rise had been an independent decision of the remuneration tribunal and politicians were working “incredibly hard” to support their constituents amid the pandemic.

Ms Palaszczuk announced Queensland’s pay-rise backdown on morning television on Thursday. “Well, let me make it very clear. All of that is on hold,” she told the Seven Network’s Sunrise.

“It’s on hold. We’ve got people out there who have lost their jobs. They’re hurting. And you know, we’ve got frontline services out there, our nurses, our doctors, our firefighters, our police.

“They’re doing a great job for Queenslanders, but in this climate at the moment, everything must be put on hold.”

The Australian revealed on Wednesday that the state’s 224,000 public servants were set to receive pay rises as others in the workforce endured static income levels, wage cuts, reduced hours, unpaid stand-downs or job losses because of the economic impact of the corona­virus.

Workers across the Queensland public sector are participating in an “all-staff” ballot that opened last week to approve a 2.5 per cent wage increase, plus a one-off cash payment of $1250.

The increases, detailed in a proposed­ enterprise agreement between the Palaszczuk government and Together Queensland, the union representing state public­ servants, came as some highly paid business executives and sporting stars accept pay cuts of 20-50 per cent that have been forced on them amid the COVID-triggered economic downturn.