Protests from civil service employees, such as firefighters and union activists came to life after a 41 percent pay hike for MPs after Queensland acting premier Jeff Sweeney announced it a week ago.

The announcement was made while premier Campbell Newman was vacationing in Vietnam.

The Queensland Council of Unions said in a statement that it was an irony and hypocrisy for state MPs to allow such drastic increases when more than 60,000 public workers were battling for a mere 2.2%, AAP reports.

President John Battams was quoted as saying, "They in fact had the option, they could have changed the law.”
According to Crown Law, wages for Queensland MPs had fallen to such an extent that there was a huge disparity with politicians working in the federal system. The rapid decline of pay for the states ministers came after a halt on pay hikes was implemented in 2009 by ex-premier Anna Bligh.

Sweeney added that a review will hold MPs accountable for spending. However, a similarity between the federal and Queensland wages would suggest that the same pay is applicable to state and federal levels. "I work every bit as hard as my federal counterpart," said Sweeney in an online report by Yahoo News Australia.

The pay rise will translate to base salaries of $194,000 for state politicians.

In a similar move, federal MPs were given a raise of $5550, following an increment of $44000 to their salaries. That is a 3% increase, which is double the inflation rate.

The move has been widely criticized as Australians struggle a variety of legislature like the carbon tax.

MPs have also expressed their dissent at the move, since the new pay arrangement comes after a pay deal in May.

Greens leader Christine Milne criticized the decision, saying: "When the government is saying it can't afford to give people struggling on Newstart an extra $50 a week to just get up to livable levels, and the minimum wage has only gone up $17.10 a week, a $100 a week pay rise for politicians is hardly appropriate. If the nation can afford this, it can certainly afford to help our poorest people, “ The Daily Telegraph reported