Penny Wong gets a surprise pay bump after little-noticed rule change hands her Anthony Albanese’s salary for four days
Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong is receiving a temporary pay increase while serving as acting Prime Minister during Anthony Albanese's absence at the Pacific Islands Forum in Palau. The boost stems from a little-noticed change by the Remuneration Tribunal, which now allows any minister acting as Prime Minister to be paid at the Prime Minister's higher rate, rather than restricting this benefit to the Deputy Prime Minister as before. This matters because it widens access to top-level pay for a broader group of senior ministers whenever the country's most senior figures are unavailable.
Wong is covering for Albanese from Monday to Thursday because Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles, who would usually step in, is abroad on defence business in the US and UK. Albanese earns an annual salary of $622,102, compared with Wong's usual $448,631, meaning the four-day stint at the higher rate equates to roughly $1,900 extra before tax for her. The Remuneration Tribunal, which reviews ministerial pay annually but does not set salaries itself, said the change reflected updated guidance in its latest report, with Treasurer Jim Chalmers, Finance Minister Katy Gallagher and Trade Minister Don Farrell also listed in the formal order of succession.
- Penny Wong gets Prime Minister's pay rate while acting PM for four days
- Rule change lets more ministers access top salary when filling in
- Extra pay totals about $1,900 before tax over the period
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Supporters of the change argue that it is only fair for the salary of the acting Prime Minister to reflect the full weight of the office, regardless of which senior minister happens to be filling it. Extending this to any minister in the formal line of succession, not just the Deputy Prime Minister, simply recognises that whoever assumes the responsibilities and accountability of the top job for that period should be remunerated accordingly, and the sums involved, roughly $1,900 for four days, are modest and set independently by the Remuneration Tribunal rather than by politicians themselves.
The case against
Critics would say that any expansion of ministerial pay entitlements deserves public scrutiny rather than being introduced quietly through a technical tribunal report, especially given ongoing sensitivity about politicians' pay and perks. They may also question whether a few days of covering routine duties while the Prime Minister is at an international forum genuinely equates to the full burden of the role, and worry that widening eligibility beyond the Deputy Prime Minister sets a precedent for further, less justifiable pay increases across the ministry over time.