[Greens-Media] MPs should cut 6.7% pay increase to match Fair Pay Commission ruling - Greens

[Bennett, Ebony (Sen B. Brown)]

Thursday, 5 July 2007

MPs should cut 6.7% pay increase to match Fair Pay Commission ruling -
Greens

Greens leader Bob Brown will move a disallowance motion in the Senate
next month to cut the politicians' pay rise from 6.7% to 2.5%* in the
wake of today's Fair Pay Commission ruling giving Australia's lowest
paid workers a paltry 2% increase.

"MPs' pay rises should be determined by the Fair Pay Commission just the
same as Australia's lowest paid workers," Senator Brown said.

"The 6.7% pay rise awarded to MPs by the Remuneration Tribunal is
unjustifiable and embarrassing. While MPs pay will go up by $9000 a
year, Australia's lowest paid workers will receive and annual increase
of $533," Senator Brown said.

Senator Brown also noted that while MPs have been awarded a 14% pay rise
in the past financial year, Australia's 1.2 million aged-pensioners have
not had an above-inflation pay rise in fourteen years. Senator Brown
recently urged the government scrap the $3.5 billion a year in tax cuts
for those earning more than $75,0000 a year and instead give
aged-pensioners an extra $30 a week.

Senator Brown is in Melbourne today and is available for comment.

Further information: Ebony Bennett 0409 164 603

*The MPs pay increase comes in 2 regulations. The first if for a 2.5%,
the second for 4.2% Senator Brown will move to disallow the latter.


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Ebony Bennett
Media Adviser
Office of Greens Senator Bob Brown
Mobile: 0409 164 603
Ph: (02) 6277 3170
Fax: (02) 6277 3185
ebony.bennett at aph.gov.au