WA politicians granted a pay rise
Posted
Updated
Alan Carpenter says MPs don't need the payrise. (ABC: Graeme Powell)
Western Australia's politicians have been granted a 4.2 per cent payrise, taking the base salary of a MP to just under $130,000 a year.
The Salaries and Allowances Tribunal, which determines salary increases for MPs, has ignored warnings from Premier Alan Carpenter that the state's politicians do not deserve a pay rise.
Mr Carpenter had argued that there should not be an increase because Federal MPs were not handed a rise this year.
However, in a statement the tribunal says that it took into account WA's inflation rate of 4.5 per cent and a jump of about 6 per cent in the WA's wage price index.
Mr Carpenter says he will consider taking the decision making power away from the tribunal.
"I'll seek support for legislation to peg our salaries to the federal MPs," he said.
The Opposition leader, Colin Barnett, says there are other workers who are far more deserving of a pay rise than politicians.
"I don't think Members of Parliament deserve a big pay rise at all," he said.
"The teachers do, they certainly deserve a big pay rise."
