Remuneration and Allowances Amendment Act 1981

Administered by Department of Finance

Legislation au C2004A02498 In force Act

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No. 121 of 1981

An Act relating to certain remuneration and allowances

[Assented to 9 September 1981]

BE IT ENACTED by the Queen, and the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Australia, as follows:

PART I—PRELIMINARY

Short title

1. This Act may be cited as the Remuneration and Allowances Amendment Act 1981.

Commencement

2. This Act shall be deemed to have come into operation on 1 July 1981.

PART II—MODIFICATIONS OF DETERMINATIONS OF THE REMUNERATION TRIBUNAL

Allowances to be paid to office holders of the Parliament

3. (1) Determination No. 9 of 1981 of the Remuneration Tribunal dated 18 June 1981 relating to the allowances to be paid to members of the

Parliament by reason of their holding particular offices, or performing particular functions, in, or in relation to, the Parliament or either House of the Parliament is modified by omitting paragraph 1 and substituting the following paragraph:

1. Additional Salary and Special Allowance of Office

Column 1	Column 2	Column 3	Column 4
Office	Rate per annum of additional salary in respect of the year ending on 30 June 1982	Rate per annum of additional salary in respect of any period after 30 June 1982	Rate per annum of special allowance
	$	$	$
Leader of the Opposition..............	17,216	20,700	8,500
President of the Senate................	16,486	20,700	7,250
Speaker of the House of Representatives....	16,486	20,700	7,250
Deputy Leader of the Opposition.........	10,917	11,900	7,250
Leader of the Opposition in the Senate	10,917	11,900	7,250
Leader of a minority non-Government party recognised in the Senate or House of Representatives	3,150	6,300	7,250
Chairman of Committees in the Senate	5,780	6,300	1,500
Chairman of Committees in the House of Representatives	5,780	6,300	1,500
Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate	5,458	5,950	1,500
Government Whip in the House of Representatives	5,458	5,950	1,500
Opposition Whip in the House of Representatives	4,817	5,250	1,500
Government Whip in the Senate.........	4,495	4,900	1,500
Opposition Whip in the Senate..........	4,495	4,900	1,500
Chairman of the Joint Committee of Public Accounts	4,495	4,900	1,500
Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Works	4,495	4,900	1,500
Chairman of the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence	1,606	1,750	1,500
Third Party Whip in the House of Representatives	3,211	3,500
Deputy Government Whip in the House of Representatives	1,606	1,750
Chairman of a Parliamentary Committee not otherwise specified herein	776	850
Second non-Government Party Whip in the Senate	425	850
Deputy Government Whip in the Senate....	776	850
Deputy Opposition Whip in the Senate.....	776	850
Deputy Opposition Whip in the House of Representatives	776	850
Deputy Chairman of Committees in the Senate	776	850
Deputy Chairman of Committees in the House of Representatives	776	850

(2) The determination of the Remuneration Tribunal referred to in sub-section (1) as modified by that sub-section has effect as if it were a determination of the Remuneration Tribunal.

Allowances to be paid to members of the Parliament

4. (1) Determination No. 10 of 1981 of the Remuneration Tribunal dated 18 June 1981 relating to the allowances to be paid to members of the Parliament is modified by omitting paragraph 1 and substituting the following paragraph:

1. Allowance by way of basic salary

Column 1	Column 2	Column 3
Office	Rate per annum of basic salary in respect of the year ending on 30 June 1982	Rate per annum of basic salary in respect of any period after 30 June 1982
	$	$
Senator or member of the House of Representatives	33,013	36,000

(2) The determination of the Remuneration Tribunal referred to in sub-section (1) as modified by that sub-section has effect as if it were a determination of the Remuneration Tribunal.

PART III—SALARIES OF MINISTERS OF STATE

Principal Act

5. The Ministers of State Act 19521 is in this Part referred to as the Principal Act.

Salaries of Ministers

6. Section 5 of the Principal Act is amended by omitting “$400,000” and substituting “$452,000”.

PART IV—AMENDMENTS OF THE REMUNERATION AND ALLOWANCES ACT 1973

Principal Act

7. The Remuneration and Allowances Act 19732 is in this Part referred to as the Principal Act.

Salary and allowances of certain office holders

8. Section 13 of the Principal Act is amended—

(a) by adding at the end of paragraph (4) (b) “or”;

(b) by omitting paragraph (4) (c); and

Travelling allowance payable to the Chief Justice and Justices of the High Court

9. Section 13a of the Principal Act is amended—

(a) by omitting sub-paragraph (4) (a) (i) and substituting the following sub-paragraph:

“(i) in a case to which sub-paragraph (ii) does not apply—

(A) for an overnight stay in a capital city—$98; or

(B) for any other overnight stay—$75; or”;

(b) by omitting from sub-paragraph (4) (a) (ii) and from paragraph (4) (b) “$20” and substituting “$25”;

(d) by omitting from sub-paragraph (6) (a) (ii) and from paragraph (6) (b) “$20” and substituting “$25”.

Additional allowance payable to certain Justices of the High Court

10. Section 13b of the Principal Act is amended by omitting from sub-section (1) “$7,500” and substituting “$8,250”.

Travelling allowances payable to holders of certain offices

11. Section 13c of the Principal Act is amended—

(a) by omitting sub-paragraph (4) (a) (i) and substituting the following sub-paragraph:

“(i) in a case to which sub-paragraph (ii) does not apply—

(A) for an overnight stay in a capital city—$90; or

(B) for any other overnight stay—$70; or”; and

(b) by omitting from sub-paragraph (4) (a) (ii) and from paragraph (4) (b) “$20” and substituting “$25”.

Schedule 3

12. Schedule 3 to the Principal Act is repealed and the following Schedule is substituted:

SCHEDULE 3 Section 13

Column 1	Column 2	Column 3
Office	Rate per annum of salary	Rate per annum of annual allowance
	$	$
PART I
Chief Justice of the High Court...........................	87,000	4,400
Justice (other than the Chief Justice) of the High Court...........	79,000	3,675
PART II
Chief Judge of the Federal Court of Australia.................	73,000	3,375
Chief Judge of the Supreme Court of the Australian Capital Territory	69,000	3,375

Column 1	Column 2	Column 3
Office	Rate per annum of salary	Rate per annum of annual allowance
	$	$
Chief Judge of the Family Court of Australia...................	67,000	3,375
President of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal................	67,000	3,375
President of the Trade Practices Tribunal......................	67,000	3,375
Director-General of Security..............................	67,000	3,375
Chairman of the Commonwealth Grants Commission.............	67,000	3,375
Judge (other than the Chief Judge) of the Federal Court of Australia....	67,000	3,075
Judge (other than the Chief Judge) of the Supreme Court of Australian..	67,000	3,075
Chief Judge of the Australian Industrial Court..................	59,000	3,075
Senior Judge of the Family Court of Australia..................	59,000	3,075
Judge (other than the Chief Judge) of the Australian Industrial Court...	56,000	3,075
Judge of the Federal Court of Bankruptcy.....................	56,000	3,075
Judge (other than the Chief Judge or a Senior Judge) of the Family Court of Australia	55,000	3,075

PART V—MISCELLANEOUS

Principal Act

13. The Remuneration Tribunals Act 19733 is in this Part referred to as the Principal Act.

Exclusion of sub-section 7 (8) of Remuneration Tribunals Act 1973

14. Sub-section 7 (8) of the Principal Act does not apply in relation to—

(a) any determination of the Remuneration Tribunal that was made on 18 June 1981; or

(b) in the case of such a determination that has been modified by a provision of Part II of this Act—that determination as so modified.

NOTES

1. No. 1, 1952, as amended. For previous amendments, see No. 1, 1956; No. 18, 1959; Nos. 1 and 71, 1964; No. 93, 1966; No. 1, 1967; No. 102, 1968; No. 43, 1971; Nos. 14 and 216, 1973; No. 82, 1978; No. 141, 1979; and No. 165, 1980.

2. No. 14, 1973, as amended. For previous amendments, see No. 203, 1973; No. 216, 1973 (as amended by No. 20, 1974); No. 8, 1975; Nos. 83, 170 and 182, 1976; Nos. 81 and 111, 1977; No. 166, 1978; No. 140, 1979; and No. 164, 1980.

3. No. 215, 1973, as amended. For previous amendments, see No. 80, 1974; No. 96, 1975; Nos. 60 and 178, 1978; Nos. 26, 108, 136 and 155, 1979; No. 160, 1980; and No. 74, 1981.

Overview

The Remuneration and Allowances Amendment Act 1981 was enacted by the Parliament of Australia to address the need for adjustments to the remuneration and allowances of various office holders within the Australian government. The Act was assented to on 9 September 1981 and came into operation on 1 July 1981. It primarily modifies the determinations of the Remuneration Tribunal regarding the allowances for parliamentary office holders and adjusts the salaries of ministers and certain high-ranking officials. The policy objective of the Act was to ensure that the remuneration of public officials was commensurate with their responsibilities and the economic conditions of the time.

Scope and Application

The Remuneration and Allowances Amendment Act 1981 applies to the remuneration and allowances of various office holders within the Commonwealth of Australia, including members and officers of the Parliament, Ministers of State, and various judicial officers. The Act primarily amends the Remuneration and Allowances Act 1973 to adjust the rates of salaries and allowances for these positions, as well as modifying specific determinations of the Remuneration Tribunal concerning certain parliamentary office holders. The amendments include adjustments to the basic salary, additional salaries, and special allowances for members of Parliament and their office holders, as well as the annual salary and allowances for judges of various courts. The Act also modifies the travelling allowances payable to certain high-ranking judicial officers. The scope of the Act is national, applying across the Commonwealth of Australia, and it includes specific exclusions, such as certain determinations made by the Remuneration Tribunal on 18 June 1981. The Act does not specify any thresholds or exempt certain entities or individuals, but it does provide for the modification of existing determinations through subordinate instruments.

Key Provisions

The Remuneration and Allowances Amendment Act 1981 (No. 121 of 1981) makes several modifications to the remuneration and allowances for certain office holders and members of the Parliament. Firstly, it modifies the allowances to be paid to office holders of the Parliament (s. 3). This includes the allowances for the Leader of the Opposition, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, among others. These allowances are specified for the year ending 30 June 1982 and for any period after that date. Secondly, the Act modifies the allowances to be paid to members of the Parliament (s. 4). This includes the basic salary for Senators and members of the House of Representatives for the year ending 30 June 1982 and for any period after that date. Additionally, the Act amends the salary of Ministers of State, increasing it from $400,000 to $452,000 (s. 6). The Act imposes various obligations on the parties it governs. For instance, it mandates the payment of specified allowances to certain office holders and members of the Parliament as outlined in the amended determinations of the Remuneration Tribunal. These determinations must be adhered to, and the relevant authorities are required to ensure the correct remuneration is paid in line with the Act's provisions. Failure to comply with the provisions of the Remuneration and Allowances Amendment Act 1981 may result in various civil and criminal consequences. While the Act does not explicitly state penalties for non-compliance, breaches of similar legislative provisions typically incur fines or other penalties as determined by the relevant courts. The exact penalties would depend on the specific nature and severity of the breach, and they may be subject to the general legal framework governing administrative and statutory compliance in Australia.

Area of Law: Public Sector Remuneration
Instrument: Act
Concepts: Definitions & Interpretation; Commencement Provisions; Repeal & Amendment; Licensing & Registration; Reporting & Disclosure Obligations; Regulatory Standards

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Sourced from the Federal Register of Legislation at 26 August 2026. For the latest information on Australian Government law please go to https://www.legislation.gov.au.

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