Commonwealth Numbered Regulations - Explanatory Statements

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REMUNERATION TRIBUNAL (MEMBERS' FEES AND ALLOWANCES) AMENDMENT REGULATIONS 2003 (NO. 1) 2003 NO. 103

Statutory Rules 2003 No. 103

Issued by the authority of the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations

Remuneration Tribunal Act 1973

Remuneration Tribunal (Members' Fees and Allowances) Amendment Regulations 2003 (No. 1)

The Remuneration Tribunal (the Tribunal) is established by section 4 of the Remuneration Tribunal Act 1973 (RT Act).

Under subsection 4(2) of the RT Act, the Tribunal consists of three members appointed by the Governor-General on a part-time basis.

Under subsection 4(5), the Governor-General appoints one of the members to be the President of the Tribunal.

Accordingly the Tribunal is comprised of a Member who is the President, and two other Members.

The purpose of these Regulations is to adjust the annual remuneration of the President and Members of the Tribunal in line with comparable statutory offices.

Section 12 of the RT Act provides inter alia that a member of the Tribunal must be paid such fees and allowances as are prescribed.

Section 13 of the RT Act provides that the Governor-General may make regulations, not inconsistent with the RT Act, prescribing all matters required or permitted by the RT Act to be prescribed, or necessary or convenient to be prescribed for carrying out or giving effect to the RT Act.

Only the Governor-General may adjust the annual remuneration of the President and Members of the Tribunal. As a matter of long-standing practice the Government has recommended such adjustments on the basis of the timing and quantum of adjustments determined by the Tribunal for comparable statutory offices.

Remuneration for Tribunal Members was last adjusted by amendment of the relevant regulation made by the Governor-General on 13 September 2001.

Since then, the Tribunal has determined the following adjustments:

•       full-time and part-time statutory office holders - 3.3% from 5 April 2002;

•       Secretaries of Departments - 3.1 % from 2 May 2002;

•       Judges - 7% from 1 July 2002 and an additional 5% to be implemented on 1 July 2004 and 1 July 2005 respectively.

In determining these adjustments, the Tribunal took into account factors such as key economic indicators and specific indicators such as the Wage Cost Index (WCI) series.

The adjustments in these Regulations align with the most recent adjustments to the remuneration of comparable part-time statutory office holders ie approximately 3.3%.

Regulation 4 of the Remuneration Tribunal (Members' Fees and Allowances) Amendment Regulations 1974 prescribes annual remuneration for the President and Members.

These Regulations adjust the amounts payable to the President and Members of the Tribunal to increase the President's annual remuneration from $58,700 to $60,700, and that of each other Member from $28,300 to $29,300.

Details of the Regulations are set out in the Attachment.

The Regulations commence on gazettal.

ATTACHMENT

REMUNERATION TRIBUNAL (MEMBERS' FEES AND ALLOWANCES) AMENDMENT REGULATIONS 2003 (No. 1)

Regulation 1

Regulation 1 sets out the name of the regulations.

Regulation 2

Regulation 2 provides for the commencement of the regulations on gazettal.

Regulation 3

Regulation 3 increases the fees payable to the President and Members of the Remuneration Tribunal as provided in the Remuneration Tribunal (Members' Fees and Allowances) Regulations 1974 to increase the President's annual remuneration from $58,700 to $60,700, and that of each other Member from $28,300 to $29,300.