Pollies’ pay

I WOULD like to respond to J. Alexandar who addressed me through the letters page of last week’s Gazette. The Victorian State Government policy on EBA negotiations is 2.5 per cent plus productivity offsets. This was achieved with Victoria Police, Victorian nurses and over 40 other EBA negotiations since the Victorian Coalition Government came to office in 2010.
Victorian State Members of Parliament received the same offer, with a 2.5 per cent increase to the annual salary in this financial year, followed by 2.5 per cent next year. After that all State MP pay rises will be in line with the average increase of full-time, adult employees in Victoria.
Many outdated allowances were abolished to make our salary far more transparent to our employers, the Victorian taxpayer. Victorian MPs’ pay was linked to Federal MPs’ rates. If Premier Denis Napthine did not intervene, Victorian MPs would have received a significantly bigger pay rise, in line with the generous bonus Federal Labor MPs awarded themselves last year.
In answering the letter completely, J. Alexander would like to know about funding for hospitals, public transport, schools, roads, paramedics and ambulance services. I am proud of the Victorian Coalition Government’s achievements in these fields.
Briefly, the Coalition has provided more than $1 billion for public transport projects, including funding for new metropolitan and country trains and additional rail maintenance throughout Victoria; we have also provided more than $1 billion in funding for roads projects, and begun preliminary work on the East-West Link project.
The Victorian Coalition is investing in school infrastructure including the much-needed Officer Secondary College and Officer Specialist School to support our growing community.
We have delivered the first step to build Monash Children’s Hospital, and the Coalition has overseen the biggest increase in paramedic numbers in Victorian history, investing $151 million for 310 additional paramedics and 30 additional patient transport officers. I welcome further contact from J. Alexander. I can be contacted on (03) 9796 1987; through my website, www.bradbattin.com; or at my electorate office, which is open 8am to 5pm, Monday to Friday, at 6-8 Langmore Lane Berwick.
Brad Battin MP,
Member for Gembrook.