# Tasmanian Premier Accepts 22 Percent Pay Rise After Initial Rejection Premier Jeremy Rockliff now accepts full salary increase following previous opposition to the hike. - **Source:** [ABC Australia – Just In](https://www.abc.net.au/news/justin) - **Published:** 2026-11-09 - **Topic:** [politics](https://brifing.si/c/politics) - **Original article:** - **On Brifing:** https://brifing.si/s/ed181f51-3155-4795-990b-beaa95aae31e ## Premier Accepts Salary Increase Tasmanian Premier Jeremy Rockliff has confirmed he is now receiving a 22 percent pay rise. This adjustment follows a seven-year salary freeze for parliamentarians. Although Rockliff previously capped his own increase at 3 percent, he has now aligned his compensation with the full rate recommended by the state's Industrial Commission. ## Initial Opposition and Reversal In September last year, Premier Rockliff publicly stated that a 22 percent increase was out of step with community expectations. His government attempted to disallow the hike through a parliamentary motion, but the effort failed after Labor and independent members rejected it. Consequently, the Premier has now accepted the commission's original determination. ## Financial Impact of Raise The 22 percent increase brings the Premier's annual salary to approximately $369,000, representing a rise of nearly $68,000. While ministers now receive $291,597, base-level MPs earn $171,527. Despite these increases, the government maintains that Tasmanian parliamentary salaries remain the lowest in the country compared to other Australian states and federal counterparts. ## Public Sector Wage Tensions The decision to accept the full pay rise coincides with government plans to reduce the state workforce by 1,700 positions by 2030. Health unions have criticized the disparity between the 22 percent parliamentary increase and the 2.5 to 3 percent wage offers currently being negotiated for nurses and other public sector workers. ## Union Criticism of Fairness HACSU secretary Robbie Moore highlighted the contrast during a rally, noting that Treasurer Eric Abetz also accepted a 22.36 percent increase. Unions argue that the government's offer to nurses, which falls below inflation rates, is effectively a pay cut. They contend that the parliamentary salary hike undermines the government's credibility in wage negotiations. ## Defense of the Decision Treasurer Eric Abetz defended his acceptance of the pay rise by stating he is simply respecting the will of parliament after the disallowance motion failed. He also noted that by serving in the state parliament, he foregoes his previous Commonwealth entitlements, framing the salary adjustment as a matter of standardizing parliamentary compensation structures. ## Ministerial Stance on Negotiations Health Minister Bridget Archer, who also initially limited her pay increase to 3 percent, has now moved to the higher rate. She emphasized that the government remains committed to negotiating in good faith with health unions. Archer stated that the administration aims to deliver a fair and affordable pay rise for nurses soon. ## Broader Political Context The controversy highlights the political sensitivity of public sector pay during periods of fiscal consolidation. While the government argues the increase is a technical alignment with an independent commission's ruling, the timing creates significant friction with essential service workers. Future public sector labor relations will likely remain strained by these visible salary disparities. ## Sources covering this story - https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-11-09/tasmanian-politicians-22-per-cent-pay-rise/107364690 — --- _Summary written by Brifing from the original reporting. Copyright in the original article belongs to its publisher; read the full piece at the link above._