Australian politicians just got their biggest pay rise since 2014, so how does the boosted wage compare to an average Aussie? The 4 per cent wage hike was delivered by the Renumeration Tribunal with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's salary jumping from $564,350 to nearly $587,000. The base wage for a Member of Parliament is now $225,700. According to Australian Bureau of Statistics data, the most lucrative industry for the every day Aussie worker is mining with average earnings of $148,408 each year. The lowest paid industries were accommodation and food services at $70,034, and retail trade at $71,952. The Renumeration Tribunal's 4 per cent rise for public offices is the biggest in a decade where there have been some years of no increase to wages at all - including during the pandemic in 2020 and 2021. "The Tribunal is aware its remuneration increases over the past decade have been conservative," the review statement said. "When determining remuneration for the broad spectrum of public offices within its jurisdiction, the Tribunal's primary focus is to provide competitive and equitable remuneration that is appropriate to the responsibilities and experience required of the roles, and that is sufficient to attract and retain people of calibre." It said the tribunal took into account annual wage growth of 3.6 per cent, the Fair Work Commission's wage decisions and other economic factors. IN OTHER NEWS:
