Politics Blog - April 29 - May 5
Remuneration Authority recommends MPs get a 2.8% pay rise
The Remuneration Authority has recommended the annual salary for an ordinary MP go to $168,600 per annum (from $163,961), an increase of 2.8% and their first pay increase for six years. The small increase will be backdated to the October election, and MPs can look forward to a staggered increase until they earn $181,200 by late June 2026.
The Remuneration Authority is an independent body which sets the pay for key office holders such as judges, local government representatives and some independent statutory bodies, as well as MPs. It has been working at pace since January to work out whether MPs should get a pay increase, by comparing their work to other salaries outside of Parliament.
It also looked at the state of the economy in making its determination, noting the need for "prudence" in the face of "countervailing economic conditions".
It calculated the other salaries at Parliament in relation to each other, so the salaries of the prime minister and other Cabinet members will bump up as a result. The prime minister now earns $471,049, but will have a staggered pay increase to $520,500 from June 2026, along with other increases across roles.
The new salaries to take effect from July 1 were:
The Remuneration Authority is an independent body which sets the pay for key office holders such as judges, local government representatives and some independent statutory bodies, as well as MPs. It has been working at pace since January to work out whether MPs should get a pay increase, by comparing their work to other salaries outside of Parliament.
It also looked at the state of the economy in making its determination, noting the need for "prudence" in the face of "countervailing economic conditions".
It calculated the other salaries at Parliament in relation to each other, so the salaries of the prime minister and other Cabinet members will bump up as a result. The prime minister now earns $471,049, but will have a staggered pay increase to $520,500 from June 2026, along with other increases across roles.
The new salaries to take effect from July 1 were:
- Prime Minister: $471,049 to $484,200
- Deputy prime minister: $334,734 to $344,100
- Minister with one or more portfolio in Cabinet: $296,007 to $304,300
- Minister outside of Cabinet: $249,839 to $256,800
- Opposition leader: $296,007 to $298,000
- House Speaker: $296,007 to $313,100
Other party leaders make more depending on how many MPs they had in their caucus, but the salaries would increase from:
- Party with fewer than five members: $195,400 to $201,100
- Parties with five or more members: $202,660 to $208,400
- Parties with ten or more members: $218,300 to $224,000
- Parties with 25 or more members: $232,500 to $239,200