1. About the Tribunal
The Victorian Independent Remuneration Tribunal (Tribunal) provides transparent, accountable and evidence-based decision-making in relation to the remuneration of Members of the Parliament of Victoria (MPs), Victorian public sector executives and elected local government officials.
The Tribunal is established under the Victorian Independent Remuneration Tribunal and Improving Parliamentary Standards Act 2019 (Vic) (VIRTIPS Act).
The Minister responsible for the Tribunal is the Minister for Government Services. In performing its functions, the Tribunal must act independently and impartially and is not subject to the control or direction of any person, including the Minister.
1.1 Functions of the Tribunal
The VIRTIPS Act requires the Tribunal to inquire into and make determinations in relation to [reference - VIRTIPS Act, s. 6(1)]:
- salaries and work-related parliamentary allowances for MPs
- remuneration bands for executives employed in public service bodies
- remuneration bands for executives employed in prescribed public entities
- allowances for elected local government officials — Mayors, Deputy Mayors and Councillors.
Amongst other functions, the VIRTIPS Act also provides the Tribunal with powers to:
- make guidelines with respect to the use of work-related parliamentary allowances and the Electorate Office and Communications Budget (EO&C Budget) for MPs [reference - VIRTIPS Act, s. 36(1)]
- issue guidelines with respect to the placement of public sector executives within the remuneration bands determined by the Tribunal [reference - VIRTIPS Act, ss. 6(1)(e) and 6(1)(h)]
- provide advice for proposals to pay executives above the relevant remuneration band set by a Determination [reference - VIRTIPS Act, s. 6(1)(i)]
- provide advice to the Minister on any matter relating to the remuneration of any specified occupational group [reference - VIRTIPS Act, s. 6(1)(l)].
1.2 Tribunal Members
The Tribunal consists of up to three Tribunal members. A Secretariat, that sits within the Department of Premier and Cabinet, supports the work of the Tribunal.
Warren McCann — Chair of the Tribunal
Mr McCann has an extensive public service career, with senior appointments in Victoria, South Australia and at the Commonwealth level, including as Chief Executive Officer of the South Australian Department of Premier and Cabinet and Commissioner for Public Sector Employment in South Australia. Mr McCann is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Public Administration. Prior to his commencement as inaugural Chair of the Tribunal in 2019, Mr McCann served as Special Adviser to the Victorian Department of Premier and Cabinet’s Office of Public Sector Executive Remuneration.
The Honourable Jennifer Acton — Tribunal Member
Ms Acton has significant workplace relations experience, including as a former Presidential Member of Australia's national workplace relations tribunal.
She is currently the Chair of the Victorian State Trustees Ltd and the Port of Hastings Development Authority. In addition to being a lawyer and economist, Ms Acton is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Ms Acton has been a Member of the Tribunal since its inception.
Barbara Belcher — Tribunal Member until February 2022
Ms Belcher is a former senior Commonwealth public servant, having held various roles in the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, including Head of the Government Division responsible for matters related to parliament and public administration. Ms Belcher chaired the Australian Government’s Committee for the Review of Parliamentary Entitlements, and conducted an independent review of whole-of-government internal regulation (the Belcher Red Tape Review). Ms Belcher is a former member of the Victorian Public Sector Commission Advisory Board and is a Fellow of the Institute of Public Administration.
Ms Belcher was a Member of the Tribunal from its inception until February 2022.
The Tribunal thanks Barbara for her many contributions as a Tribunal Member and wishes her all the best in her future endeavours.
1.3 Annual report requirements
The VIRTIPS Act specifies that the Tribunal is to prepare, as soon as practicable after the end of each financial year (and no later than 31 October), an annual report to the Minister about the following activities in the previous 12 months [reference - VIRTIPS Act, s. 40]:
- information about the number of Determinations made by the Tribunal
- details of any disclosure of an interest recorded in the minutes of a meeting of the Tribunal under section 14(4) of the VIRTIPS Act
- a review of the operations of the Tribunal, including the work undertaken by the Tribunal
- the number of MPs who have not complied with requests for further information by the Compliance Officer in the preceding year in relation to Determinations about separation payments
- the number of appeals heard by the Compliance Officer in the preceding year in relation to separation payments and the outcome of the appeals
- the number of MPs who have not complied with requests for further information by the Compliance Officer in the preceding year in relation to appeals relating to work-related parliamentary allowances and the EO&C Budget
- the number of appeals heard by the Compliance Officer in the preceding year in relation to appeals relating to work-related parliamentary allowances and the EO&C Budget and the outcome of the appeals
- a report on the performance of the function of the Compliance Officer in the preceding year
- any other prescribed matter.
These matters are addressed in this report.
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