2020-05-12
The Greens will be moving in Parliament to reverse the $87,000 pay rise handed to the NSW Police Commissioner by Premier Berejiklian. In the middle of a pandemic, with hundreds of thousands of people losing their job or facing brutal pay cuts, it is unthinkable that the Premier would offer the pay rise or that Commissioner Fuller would accept.
The proposed pay rise was first proposed by the Premier on 26 March this year and approved by the Statutory and Other Officers Remuneration Tribunal just four days later.
The pay rise comes in the context of the NSW Government flagging they are looking to block the annual 2.5% pay rise public servants in NSW receive.
The Greens will be using the Upper House’s oversight role under s19A of the Statutory and Other Officers Act 1975. If successful then Mr Fuller’s pay rise will be reversed.
Greens MP and Justice Spokesperson David Shoebridge said:
“In the middle of a pandemic when hundreds of thousands of people are losing their jobs and many more facing pay cuts, it’s offensive to see the Police Commissioner getting an $87,000 pay rise.
“The Premier should have never offered this and the Commissioner should have never accepted it. Both of them have shown a lack of true leadership here.
“Commissioner Fuller’s pay rise is more money than most of his police constables get paid in a year. How can he look them in the eye after this?
“The good news is that we can correct this error in the Upper House and reverse this excessive pay rise.
“With hundreds of thousands of public servants facing a potential wage freeze, thousands more in the private sector losing their jobs, how can anyone think it's the right time for this pay rise?
“This is exactly why we need Parliament to be sitting and keeping a close eye on the Government,” Mr Shoebridge said.
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