Last month the Remuneration Tribunal awarded massive pay rises to the heads of the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA), the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) and the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC).
The September 8 Canberra Times said: “APRA chairman Dr John Laker’s remuneration package is now worth $800,000 a year — an increase of 29% on last year — while the packages of the ASIC and ACCC heads rose 28% to $700,000.”
The Canberra Times added that: “Tax commissioner Michael D’Ascenzo told [Australian Taxation Office (ATO)] staff this week he hoped his salary would soon match the amounts paid to other agency heads.”
One ATO worker, who asked to remain unnamed, told the paper that staff in her section were “gobsmacked he has the gall to say that given what [the Tax Office] is doing to us at the moment”.
The ATO, like other Australian public service agencies, says that pay rises for its workers must be limited to 3% a year. The Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) is campaigning for pay rises of 13% over 3 years.
CPSU deputy secretary Rupert Evans told the Canberra Times staff at the ATO thought D’Ascenzo’s boast was “insensitive, at best”.
“They are being told by the commissioner to cop a 3% deal, which will struggle to keep up with rising costs, while he is hoping to get more than 30%.
“Tax officers are doing all the hard work but the commissioner is the only one getting the big reward.”