I noticed in the media this week that the new Governor-General, Quentin Bryce, is to be paid $394k when she takes up the post. This is for no more than meeting dignitaries, making speeches, shaking the hands of all and sundry and being the Commonwealth's official rubber stamp. She will also make more than the Prime Minister, who will be paid $330k.

Now this isn't bad work if you can get it. But hardly fair when many hard-working Australians are scraping through their life on the minimum wage. Even the Prime Minister gets less when he has to routinely take political heat as well as make often important and tough decisions in the national interest. We have a pyramid structure in our society, where those who already have the most and are at the top, have the easiest and most privileged lives. They hardly represent ordinary Australians.

In case people think I'm picking on the incoming GG because she's a woman, not so. I think exactly the same should have applied to the previous male ones (although I do seem to remember that Bill Deane was not getting paid anywhere near as much - does anyone know whether this is right?).

The Hollingsworth's, I believe, were rather arrogant and let the power and position get to their heads. Do we need/want this in a head of state? I think not.

RobP,

I think the high "tax-fee" salary reflects the statue of the Office, not the effort of the holder.

You've presented a good case, Rob.

I agree, at that figure, the GG is definitely being overpaid. A salary somewhere between that of an MP and the Prime Minister would be more appropriate.

It looks like a tedious and somewhat pompous job. But when it's done well, as in the case of Sir William Deane, it's a role that can lift a nation.

Regarding Sir William Deane's salary, I found this on the Parliamentary Library website

In 1996 the tax-free salary for his replacement, Sir William Deane, was increased by 42% to $135 000 (but then at his own instigation reduced to $58 000 to take account of his High Court pension).

http://www.aph.gov.au/library/Pubs/bd/2000-01/01BD165.htm

http://www.aph.gov.au/library/pubs/RN/2003-04/04rn12.htm

The GG's salary, as from 2001, is no longer tax-free.

Yes... Is there much else to say?

Yes over paid and the sooner we have no need of one the better

Pay is very much in the eye of the beholder but yes from me - overpaid.

The role of GG is very much a ceremonial one for the most part and while there are probably many pressures on the GG's time, no more than a Prime Minister, or a surgeon or nurse in an understaffed hospital etc.

There are many anomalies like this. The value we place on certain roles over others. Salesmanship, marketing, PR and image skills often attract higher salaries than roles involving real 'hands on' or frontline work. Then there is the disparity between industries ie. IT and banking for example; and the issue of celebrity.

That begs the question on how do we value different types of work?

An egalitarian society would be one where the difference in the minimum wage and those at the top end would be smaller rather than larger while being balanced to retain incentives for hard work or greater time spent at work etc, however that might be defined.

We can see a huge problem with this creeping of salaries at the top end and the reduction in real wages for lower incomes after WorkChoices. The ensuing economic and social problems with that predicament are vast.

I agree with Oliver. The high "tax fee" salary reflects the prestige of the Office, not the effort of the holder.

We have a Queen, a Governor General, and a Prime Minister.

If we're questioning, "Is the Governor General paid too much?" perhaps we should also be asking - do we really need all those positions?

The money paid to the previous GG's, and the money to be paid to the new GG is obscene.

Foxy,

Touché!

O.

Read your constitution
section-3....ten thousand pounds [annual wage for GG]

the pay rate for polititions is also set in stone
section-48...four hundred pounds a year

so stop your whining

That constitution was wrote when a pound was a promise to pay in pounds of GOLD!

We are getting our govt on the cheap
[no wonder they serve themselves and the big buisness lobby ,

if you cant be bothered to read the rules for the public servants as laid down in our constitution dont be complaining [change the constitution [or shutt up]

Read the constitution and see govt can make rules for peace and good order

[ok it isnt allowed to tax income , nor declare a war [on drug users] ie its own masters]

[public service is meant to serve the public [common-weal[wealth] nor install compulsory super to prop up its big buisness mates ,

or to sell the common wealth bank to multinational bankers [nor instal maritime law in our courts and ignore constitutional law
either
but you get what you get when you vote for frauds[lawyers]

The constitution also says legal money shall be gold or silver coin ,[not fiat paper currency issued by the whim of the fed/reserve bankers] but hey we are getting the gg on the cheap

whats 10,000 times 20 times $1000 us ?
a heck of a lot more than what she is getting!

Its hard keeping a straight face greeting and meeting those colluding us via treason into bankruptsy, so keep quite and pay your tax , back to work you peasents
[soon you get to pay carbon credit as well [expected to raise 83 trillion boost to big buisness [and the stock marketeeers but hey your austrailian

you are young and free
so its time to grow up

Where is the eternal vigelence while govt privatised our gold and silver and sold off the telsta ?

and the bank and the water-rights ,powerstations, and anything else it could turn into cash so they can give out as coorperate welfare to those giving us the two party demon-autocracy.

live with it

It does seem a lot of money, for someone who always gives me the impression that she is a receptionist, in a rather pretentious beauty parlor.

Although highly overpaid & utterley needless the GG's salary is mere peanuts in comparison of what bureaucrats who are even more needless are costing us each year. No-one on the public purse should get paid more than average wage. I find it absolutely sickening on how much is being spent on useless public servants whilst hard working people can't make ends meet. Thanks to unions the useless are costing more each day & the deserving get shafted more each day

Is the GG overpaid?

Absaflippinlootely!

And what’s with this abomination of tax-free income??

EVERY income earner from the minimum wage up should be taxed. It is an absolute obscenity that someone on one of the highest incomes in the country should be tax-free!

The GG should get about 150 000, per annum, fully taxed….and that’s being generous.

But then, we’d be better off with out a flippin GG at all.

Just finishing off on this thread, I think the GG should have his/her expenses paid for and earn a fairly modest wage, say $100k per year.

I think this is a perfectly ample salary given that the people who get the job have had successful and well-paid careers before they got into the role.