Rockliff takes full 22% pay increase after initially capping rise
The Tasmanian premier's annual salary is now A$369,000, as a health union questions the government's smaller wage offer to nurses.
Tasmanian Premier Jeremy Rockliff is now paid A$369,000 annually after accepting a parliamentary salary increase of 22 per cent that he previously opposed. He had initially restricted his own increase to 3 per cent.
Rockliff said every parliamentarian was now receiving the salary set by the Tasmanian Industrial Commission. His pay is almost A$68,000 higher than before the commission's determination.
The commission set the increase in June last year after salaries had been frozen for seven years. A Liberal attempt to overturn it failed in the upper house that September, with Labor and eight independents voting against the motion.
Ministers are paid A$291,597, while the basic parliamentary salary stands at A$171,527, still Australia's lowest. Health Minister Bridget Archer said she had accepted the higher rate after taking a smaller increase of 3 per cent for a year.
The government is also planning spending reductions that would remove 1,700 state servant roles by 2030. Nurses have been offered increases over three years of 3 per cent, then 2.75 per cent and 2.5 per cent.
At a rally outside parliament, HACSU secretary Robbie Moore contrasted that offer with Treasurer Eric Abetz's 22.36 per cent increase. Moore argued the proposed 2.5 per cent rise would leave nurses worse off after inflation.
Abetz said he had accepted parliament's decision when the effort to overturn the increase failed. Archer described negotiations with health unions as constructive and said the government wanted an affordable and fair outcome for nurses.
