Albanese Administration Proposes AU$214,000 Salary Boost For New Governor-General

The next governor-general of Australia, Sam Mostyn, may be getting a salary boost of more than AU$214,000, according to the Albanese administration, as she will not be receiving the higher pensions that her predecessors received.

Business leader and gender equality advocate Mostyn will take the oath of office as governor-general on July 1. The prime minister's assistant minister, Patrick Gorman, filed a measure in the federal parliament on Monday to increase the governor-general's pay from AU$495,000 to AU$709,017. The lack of the increased pensions that former officeholders got is reflected in this rise, reported The Guardian.

Mostyn's compensation will be set under the new law for the duration of her five-year tenure.

According to Gorman, Mostyn's higher pay makes up for the fact that, in contrast to her predecessors, she does not get certain Commonwealth privileges, reported The Nightly.

"The governor-general's salary cannot be changed during their term of office due to the constitution," he told parliament.

"Therefore, the remuneration of the future governor-general must be fixed at a level suitable for the whole tenure of this administration."

He clarified that the projected average compensation of the Chief Justice of the High Court is the basis for determining the governor-general's pay.

"Where, in the past, a governor-general has been the recipient of other commonwealth entitlements – such as a military pension – the annual salary has been adjusted accordingly. Ms Mostyn is not a recipient of any such entitlements," Gorman continued.

Current governor-general David Hurley, who served as the head of the defense force in the past, was paid a military pension in addition to his governor-general pay. In a similar vein, previous governors general have received pensions from the military or the judiciary.

The proposal will be brought back to parliament for more discussion this week.

If approved, Mostyn's salary will be more than that of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who is paid AU$607,471 a year.