Politicians’ pay gets fatter

Salary boost: Prime Minister Julia Gillard has been granted another pay rise.

FEDERAL MPs will get a $4580 pay rise on July 1 taking the pay of an average backbencher to $195,130.

Julia Gillard will be the first prime minister to receive a salary above $500,000, with an extra $11,908 taking her wage to $507,338.

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott’s pay rises by $8473 to $360,990.

It will be the third pay rise for federal MPs in 16 months.

The Remuneration Tribunal yesterday announced MPs would get a 2.4 per cent pay rise and has left open the chance of another pay rise before the next annual review.

The Tribunal said the pay rise, which also flows to public servants, judges and office holders of government agencies was ‘‘conservative and incremental’’.

Deputy PM Wayne Swan’s pay will rise by $9389 to $400,016 while Speaker Anna Burke gets an extra $8015 to $341,477. A cabinet minister’s pay rises by $7901 to $336,599 while shadow ministers get an extra $5725 to $243,912.

Ms Gillard said politicians’ wages were set by the independent Tribunal and MPs had no role in determining their pay.