LETTER TO THE EDITOR LNP bow to pressure from KAP to Stop Pay Increase
Dear Sir/Madam,
Katters Australian Party is relieved that our media campaign has yielded results by stopping an unjustifiable 42% pay rise the LNP Government MPs gave themselves last week increases of $57,000 to more than $100,000 for the Premier.
Remarkably, they actually introduced these changes the same day that the $10 discount for mowing vouchers to pensioners were removed.
Our party announced that we would table a Private Members Bill at the next sitting in August to block these pay rises and appoint an independent arbiter so MPs would not be in control of their own pay rises. This bill has been the focus of most of the media throughout the week as the only proactive response to stop the increase.
The KAP Bill will set up an independent, state-based tribunal to process Queenslands Parliamentary pay claims and uncouple the linkage from the Federal tribunal.
We were therefore pleased that the Premier yesterday gave in to the mounting public pressure to reconsider the increase. We were simply providing a voice for the discontent at this ridiculous proposition when the rest of Queenslanders are doing it so tough.
It gives me great comfort that our voices from rural and remote areas can be echoed in the southern media to precipitate changes by the government on bad decision making.
Yours sincerely
Rob Katter
Member for Mount Isa