Originally Posted by
Chronic Snoozer
In 2012. From APH.gov.au
Percentage increases in the base salary from 1996
Since 1996, the base salary has increased by the following (in actual dollars):
- 7 March 1996—1.6 per cent
- 17 October 1996—1.2 per cent
- 7 December 1999—4.45 per cent, the first stage of a 9.95 per cent two-stage increase
- 1 July 2000—5.5 per cent, the second stage of the 9.95 per cent increase
- 1 July 2000—2.2 per cent by virtue of an adjustment to the PEO Classification Structure
- 1 July 2001—3.9 per cent
- 1 July 2002—3.35 per cent
- 1 July 2003—4 per cent
- 1 July 2004—3.9 per cent
- 1 July 2005—4.1 per cent and
- 1 July 2006—7.01 per cent
- 1 July 2007—6.8 per cent
- 1 October 2009—3.1 per cent
- 1 August 2010—3.8 per cent
- 1 July 2011—3.6 per cent
- 15 March 2012—31.3 per cent
- 1 July 2012—3.0 per cent
- 1 July 2013—2.4 per cent
- 1 July 2014—0 per cent
- 1 January 2016—2.0 per cent
- 1 July 2017—2.0 per cent
- 1 July 2018—2.0 per cent
Well spotted. I'm assuming you read the explanation for that one-off large increase.
During the 1980s the MPs’ base salary failed to keep up with inflation resulting in a decline in value in real terms. This was in contrast to the average which kept ahead of inflation and grew, in real terms, at an annual average rate of 0.3 per cent.
As a result the base salary, which had been almost three times the average wage in 1975, was only twice the average wage in 1991. During the 1990s MPs were given increases to their base salary which allowed some catch up with average wages. However, despite this by 2011 the base salary was still only 2.2 times the average wage.
In March 2012 MPs received an increase to their base salary of 31.3 per cent.