Premier accepts big pay rise after initially saying it was 'out of step'

Last year, Tasmanian Premier Jeremy Rockliff fought against a 22 per cent pay rise for parliamentarians and capped his increase at 3 per cent.

But he has now confirmed that he and all other parliamentarians are receiving the full amount the Industrial Commission said they were entitled to after a seven-year pay freeze.

A health union has described the government's latest pay offer for nurses as unfair compared with the increases given to parliamentarians.

All Tasmanian parliamentarians are now receiving the full 22 per cent pay rise they are entitled to, including the premier, who previously said it was "out of step with community expectations".

In June last year, the Tasmanian Industrial Commission determined that parliamentarians should get a 22 per cent pay rise after a seven-year pay freeze.

At the time, Jeremy Rockliff said on social media: "This is not on, and we will not be accepting it."

The Liberals then moved a motion in parliament to disallow the increase, but Labor and eight independents rejected it in the upper house in September last year.

In response, Mr Rockliff said he would only accept a 3 per cent pay rise for himself.

"I will personally be knocking it back," he said on social media in September last year.

"Three per cent, the same as what is being offered to our public workers, is fair and reasonable."

Several other Liberals also declared they would only take a 3 per cent rise, while most other parliamentarians accepted the full amount.

But today, Mr Rockliff said he and all other parliamentarians were now on the rate recommended by the commission.

"Tasmanians rightly did not expect one of the first actions of the new parliament was to be voting on a pay rise for MPs," he said in a statement.

"It was certainly not my focus and not the community's expectation.

"We tried to stop the pay rise. However, Labor voted for it.

"I did accept much less than recommended by the Industrial Commission for over a year.

"Now, as I understand it, all parliamentarians have been brought into line with the Industrial Commission's determination."

It means Mr Rockliff is now receiving $369,000 a year, a rise of almost $68,000 compared to what he was being paid before the commission's determination last year.

Ministers currently receive $291,597, while MPs get a base rate of $171,527, which is still the lowest rate in the country.

But the decision by Mr Rockliff and others to accept the higher rate comes at a time when the government is planning to slash 1,700 state servant roles by 2030 to rein in spending.

A health union has also questioned the fairness of offering nurses pay rises of 3 per cent, 2.75 per cent and 2.5 per cent over the next three years.

"[Treasurer] Eric Abetz last year took a 22.36 per cent pay rise," HACSU secretary Robbie Moore told a rally outside parliament yesterday, triggering boos from the crowd.

"Now you compare that to the offer that we've got for nurses … and literally going as low as 2.5 per cent, that's a pay cut [compared with inflation]."

In a statement, Mr Abetz, a former federal minister, explained why he had decided to take the 22 per cent pay rise.

"After our effort to disallow the pay rise was rejected by Labor and certain crossbench members, I, along with others, accepted the will of the parliament," he said.

"To seek to personalise this matter conveniently ignores that by serving in state parliament I forego my Commonwealth entitlement, which I have done for the past two years.

Health Minister Bridget Archer also confirmed she was now on the higher rate.

"I did not initially accept a 22 per cent pay rise. I accepted a 3 per cent pay rise for a year," Ms Archer said.

Ms Archer said the government was continuing to negotiate in "good faith" with health unions about the wage offer.

"We continue to be at the table," she said.

"I think those discussions have been constructive.

"And we look forward to delivering a fair and affordable pay rise for our nurses as soon as we possibly can."