Andrew Robb (Goldstein, Liberal Party, Chairman of the Coalition Policy Development Committee) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to speak on the Ministers of State Amendment Bill 2010. I will not take up much of the time of the Main Committee. This is a non-controversial bill and I am not very keen to spend too much time on the record speaking about parliamentary salaries. Section 66 of the Constitution requires a specific appropriation of money to pay for the additional salaries of ministers and parliamentary secretaries. In the past this has required new amending bills each time executive salaries have risen beyond the set appropriation. This bill increases the maximum amount potentially payable under section 66 of the Constitution for the salaries of ministers, including parliamentary secretaries, for the current financial year and for later financial years to $3.5 million. It is currently $3.2 million. It will also allow future increases in the appropriation to be made by regulation, which in my view is a sensible measure. I commend the bill.

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