In 2025, New South Wales (NSW) MPs will earn more than $10,000 (US$6,480) per sitting week, as a proposal to extend the 16-week calendar was turned down.
The Labor government’s lower house schedule for MPs earning $172,500 (US$111,800) a year falls short of the recent average, except for years affected by elections or COVID-19.
An opposition attempt to add two additional weeks was rejected due to restrictions imposed by upper house events in Australia’s oldest parliament.
The proposal sought to eliminate six Friday sittings which lack question time and take away a weekday from regional MPs to engage with voters in their electorates.
Helen Dalton, independent MP for the rural electorate of Murray, emphasized that no politician should operate in a part-time parliament.
The government highlighted that many weeks in the year are reserved for committee hearings or budget estimates hearings.
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“When we factor in school holidays and other periods such as public holiday weeks when we cannot convene, the ability to extend sitting days is severely limited,” stated Ron Hoenig, the government’s leader in the lower house.
Hoenig defended the Friday sessions, claiming they allowed more time to pass legislation and gave crossbenchers dedicated advocacy time for their electorates.
Dalton emphasized that the Minns government needed to collaborate with the cross-bench and opposition to serve the voters effectively.
“Government MPs must engage in parliamentary discussions rather than avoiding scrutiny by staying in their electorate offices,” she added.
Speaker Greg Piper expressed disappointment with the government for not meeting more frequently, citing opposition from upper house Labor chiefs. He suggested that 20 to 21 sitting weeks a year align more with community expectations.
The opposition criticized the limited question time, with Alister Henskens, lower house leader of opposition business, calling it “an affront to democracy.”
The proposal to add two extra weeks and six more question time days was rejected by a vote of 51 to 36.
The base salary for a lower house MP in NSW is $172,500, with additional allowances for independent MPs, committee chairs, and other roles.
