Disallowance Motion - Tas Industrial Commission Determination - Parliamentary Salaries & Allowances

Thursday 25 September 2025

[11.06 a.m.]

Mr VINCENT (Prosser - Deputy Leader of the Government in the Legislative Council) - Mr President, I move -

That the Legislative Council disallow, in accordance with section 3G of the Parliamentary Salaries, Superannuation and Allowances Act 2012, the determination contained in the May 2025 report of the Full Bench of the Tasmanian Industrial Commission into Parliamentary Salaries and Allowances.

[11.58 a.m.]

Ms ARMITAGE (Launceston) - Mr President, I thank all the members who have spoken. I  couldn't have said it better. I, too, don't believe that members of parliament should have any say in remuneration or pay. We should be totally hands off.

The government needs to reform the system so we're never in this situation again. I hear that they're thinking of doing that, but how many years have they had to do it? When we look back to 2018, we didn't know how long the TIC would take to give the report. Surely, during that period, the government knew that there was going to be a problem, and they could have looked at the system rather than leave it until the TIC delivered a report that they then said they're not happy with.

I did a bit of investigating - and the member for Murchison stole a bit of my thunder. That doesn't matter. I will do it again. An Examiner article that I found from 15 June 2015 starts off by saying:

Legislative councillors have warned that the state government faces a political time bomb over the issues of politicians' salaries, and are pushing to remove parliamentary involvement in the issue.

That was 2015. Who was in government then? I cannot recall.

Ms Forrest - I can tell you. I can help.

Ms ARMITAGE - I believe many could actually help. It goes on:

The pay freeze for sitting members will end at the start of July, with MHAs and MLCs to receive a 2 per cent pay rise, taking their base salary to $120,000.

The state government will soon introduce legislation to allow the Tasmanian Industrial Commission to make rulings on future pay levels, but any decision could be vetoed by a majority of both houses of Parliament.

I am sure Ivan and Greg will love to be mentioned a couple of times in this House.

Ms Forrest - I hope they're watching.

Ms ARMITAGE - Yes, we should have told them.

Independent Windermere MLC Ivan Dean said the veto powers were 'nonsense'.

'It still gives the parliament a say on parliamentary salaries and we should be as far removed from that in all circumstances,' he said.

'The TIC can and must take into account the economy at the time, and if we're not going to have faith in them to make the right call, then why the hell involve them at all?'

Independent Western Tiers MLC agreed that the TIC's rulings should be binding.

'The parliament should simply accept the TIC's decision,' he said.

'They are the independent umpire.'

Mr Dean said that if politicians' pay did not keep pace with other jurisdictions, then the government risked a decision akin to the infamous 40 per cent pay rise of 1993.

'The further that we fall behind, the greater the amount is going to be in the long run,' he said.

'You can just see in the next 8-10 years a big catch-up, and no one will stand for that.'

As has been mentioned previously, that's exactly where we are now.

I'm not going to make a long speech. I'm simply agreeing with others that we need a proper, transparent process, independent from members of parliament. It is an honour and privilege to be in this place, but I don't have a place in determining what we are paid. I hope that the government takes on this matter and deals with it so we never have a situation like this again.

Members of parliament should not have any say in their pay.