Media Release: Disallowance Motion

Disallowance Motion

Thursday, 25 September 2025

Independent Member for Nelson Meg Webb today expressed her anger at the Rockliff Government’s Disallowance Motion.

Ms Webb said every member of the Tasmanian Parliament knows what a privilege it is to represent and work hard for their constituents and electorate.

“Tasmanians rightly expect us to work hard and to be motivated by public service,” Ms Webb said.

“I also believe the Tasmanian community expects public servants to be paid fairly, to have their salaries set fairly and to have reasonable annual pay increases applied

“I do not believe Tasmanians would regard it as fair or acceptable for any public servant to take an effective pay cut every year.”

Ms Webb said members of Parliament are forced into an inevitable conflict of interest – deciding on their own salaries.

“This is a broken system. We know it is broken because it allows a situation that we would regard, and the Tasmanian community would regard, as utterly unacceptable for any other part of our public service.

“This system allows our salaries to be frozen in time, unchanging year after year after year – which effectively means that each and every year we are getting a pay cut.”

Ms Webb said since 2018, Tasmanian MPs have experienced an annual pay cut.

“Now the independent Tasmanian Industrial Commission has determined an appropriate pay adjustment, to correct the pay freeze.

“It would be utterly unacceptable to any of us if a Tasmanian nurse, teacher, paramedic or police officer were to have their salary frozen at the same level for seven years.”

Ms Webb said the Rockliff Government should unequivocally commit today to reforming this system once and for all to take the politics out of it.

“None of us want to be in this situation.

“If any MP feels uncomfortable accepting this catch-up adjustment to their salary, they are entirely at liberty to reimburse the state to the level they feel is appropriate or donate any amount they feel is excess to a charity of their choice.”

Ms Webb said this decision is about a very clear principle that we expect for all Tasmanians – fair pay, with fairly assessed annual increases.

“You shouldn’t have to be wealthy to become a Tasmanian MP, but if we expect our State MPs to take an effective pay cut every year, that is exactly what will be required.

“The people who are more likely to be excluded will be from groups that need to be more present and represented in our Parliament – young people, people with a disability, people from culturally diverse backgrounds and women.

“We should not be putting more barriers and more disincentives in place for people from these groups becoming representatives in our parliament and adding to the strength and diversity our democracy.”

Ms Webb said the Tasmanian Parliament has waited seven years for the independent expert umpire to make an assessment of what would be a reasonable and fair update of our salary and allowances.

“Once we have dealt with this immediate matter which rectifies the indefensible error of seven years of frozen pay, I then expect the Government to work with all MPs to fix this broken system so that we are not ever again put in this position which invites political interference.

“Because we are stuck in Groundhog Day – this situation has cropped up numerous times in the past, and yet nothing has been done to fix it.

“The rush to reject out of hand the expert, independent determination is contrary to good governance and the rationale of removing political self-interest from the equation. “