AS Australians worry about their jobs and the government scrounges around for savings, department heads in Canberra are about to receive whopping pay rises.
The head of the Department of Climate Change -- one of many departments of dubious value -- is set to earn at least $700,000 a year by 2014, a 39 per cent pay rise in two years.
In March the Remuneration Tribunal promulgated "necessary" pay increases "substantially above the current levels" for all 20 permanent department heads.
The secretary of the Prime Minister's department will get $825,000 a year, more than any other and a 50 per cent pay rise.
These increases are preposterous. For instance, the head of the US Treasury earns less than $200,000 a year and the Bank of England governor is paid about pound stg. 310,000 ($487,000). These are roles where the need to attract talent is surely at least as pressing.
