The Australian government plans to give the incoming governor-general a pay rise of over $214,000, saying Sam Mostyn—unlike her predecessors—would not be paid a military pension, and therefore her total remuneration would be less.
Under a Bill introduced to Parliament on June 24, the salary for the role will rise from $495,000 to $709,017 (US$472,953)—a rise of 43 percent.
Ms. Mostyn will be sworn into her largely ceremonial role on July 1, and existing law prohibits raising the governor-general’s salary during their term of office, leaving the government in a rush to push through the raise before she assumes office.
The federal opposition indicated it would support the Bill despite describing it as a “deep embarrassment for the government”—but only because of the last-minute rush.
“In line with past practice, the proposed salary is calculated by reference to the estimated average salary of the chief justice of the High Court of Australia over the notional five-year term of the appointment of the governor-general,” Patrick Gorman, the assistant minister to the prime minister, explained to Parliament.
“Where, in the past, a governor-general has been the recipient of other Commonwealth entitlements—such as a military pension—the annual salary has been adjusted accordingly. Ms. Mostyn is not a recipient of any such entitlements,” he explained. No other MP spoke.
Later, Mr. Gorman refused to divulge to reporters whether Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Ms. Mostyn had discussed her salary before she accepted the job.
“It is by convention that you don’t exchange details of conversations between the prime minister and governor general,” he said.
The Bill’s explanatory memorandum says the salary of the Chief Justice of Australia, determined by the Remuneration Tribunal, is $649,880 annually.
Based on projected wage growth, that is expected to rise to $769,989 by 2029, with an average over a five-year period of $708,017. Governor-generals are usually appointed for a five-year term.
Assuming the Bill passes, Ms. Mostyn’s salary will be higher than the prime minister’s, whose pay rose to about $607,471 a year, and the opposition leader at $432,239.
Mostyn’s Previous Political Views
Ms. Mostyn, 58, is a former staffer to Paul Keating, who later became a businessperson and joined corporate boards. She was the AFL’s first female commissioner and has been a high-profile promoter of climate, Indigenous, and feminist causes.However, since news of her appointment, she has deleted several past social media posts, including one that described Australia Day as “invasion day.”
She was also a backer of The Voice referendum, describing herself as “completely untethered” when it failed, while also previously supporting Australia severing ties with the British monarchy and becoming a republic.
Critic Points to Cost of Living Crisis
The national director of the Australian Republican Movement Isaac Jeffrey was critical of the proposal pointing to the cost-of-living crisis.“[Australians will] look at the government’s announcement of a 42 percent pay rise for the next governor-general and question what they are getting for that investment,” he said in a statement.
“It’s not a representative of the people, because the governor general represents the King, not Aussies.”
As Hansard shows, Prime Minister Albanese also previously criticised former Governor General Michael Jeffery for receiving a $1,000-a-week pay rise.
“Average Australians will be concerned about a bill increasing a salary by $55,000 in one hit,” he said. “In contrast, 1.7 million low-paid workers were awarded a pay rise of $15 to $17 a week in the latest Industrial Relations Commission safety net wage case.”
