Latest news with #APS
Daily Mirror
a day ago
- Automotive
- Daily Mirror
New UK driving laws to be introduced soon after being 'fast tracked'
A new consultation has been launched on the automated passenger services (APS) permitting scheme and the draft stature instrument, which will dictate the future of self-driving vehicles Fresh motoring regulations will arrive on British roads in the coming months as autonomous vehicles begin their rollout. Labour MP and minister Lilian Greenwood has unveiled a consultation regarding the automated passenger services (APS) licensing framework and the draft statutory instrument. The MP is encouraging both the general public and industry experts to share their perspectives on the future of driverless cars. The APS framework represents a crucial element of the Automated Vehicles Act, which will govern self-driving taxis, bus-style services and cabs once fully enacted in the latter half of 2027. The government has chosen to accelerate trials of autonomous passenger vehicles to spring 2026, enabling companies to test small-scale operations without a safety driver for the first time, reports Birmingham Live. Advancing these driverless vehicle trials will generate 38,000 employment opportunities to boost household incomes, spurring investment to support British engineering expertise and establishing an industry valued at £42 billion by 2035. Future of roads minister, she explained: "Self-driving vehicles are one of the most exciting opportunities to improve transport for so many people, especially those in rural areas or unable to drive." "We want to work with passengers and industry to make this new form of transport safe and accessible, as we take our next steps towards adoption. Labour MP and minister Lilian Greenwood continued: "This technology doesn't just have the potential to improve transport for millions of people. It will help stimulate innovation, create thousands of jobs, and drive investment to put money money in people's pockets-all part of delivering our Plan for Change." Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive, also added: "Britain's self-driving vehicle revolution moves one step closer, with today's announcements putting the country on track to reap the road safety and socio-economic benefits this technology can deliver." "Pilot rollout of commercial self-driving services from next year will widen public access to mobility, while the consultation will ensure the technology is deployed in a safe and responsible way." He concluded: "These latest measures will help Britain remain a world leader in the development and introduction of self-driving vehicles, a manifest application of AI at its finest." As explained, self-driving vehicles can facilitate people to get around more easily, especially for those who don't have a license. It can also add a new method of transport in rural areas, improving mobility and overall road safety by reducing the number of accidents.
Ya Biladi
a day ago
- Politics
- Ya Biladi
Six days in airport custody and a deportation order : A Moroccan graduate breaks her silence
Since 2018, Zahra* has lived in France, where she completed her higher education. After earning her hard-earned MBA, she hoped to launch her career in the country where she had built her adult life. But it was only after returning from a summer trip to Morocco that things took a dramatic turn. At Roissy-Charles-de-Gaulle Airport, «everything seemed routine», until a border officer stepped out of the office and asked her to follow him. Zahra* was blindsided. She was informed that she was under an «Obligation to Leave French Territory» (OQTF) and barred from re-entering the country for 40 years. Speaking to Yabiladi, the 29-year-old said she had never been notified of any such administrative decision or its justification. Psychological Distress and an Enforceable OQTF According to Zahra*, it all began with her temporary residence permit (APS) application, which didn't include her final diploma. The APS allows international students and recent graduates to remain in France to seek employment or start a business. Since official diplomas can take time to arrive, it's common practice to submit a certificate of completion instead. «That's exactly what I did, and the prefecture reassured me it was fine», Zahra* told us. But her case spiraled into an unprecedented administrative tangle, one so unusual that even police officers were baffled. «In court, the officers and interpreters who read the administrative decision were stunned. They had never seen anything like it», Zahra* said. She has painful memories of her time in airport custody, especially her appearance before the judge for individual freedoms. On the sixth day, an appeals court ordered her release from the holding area but the OQTF remains active. Now, Zahra* lives under what she described as a «sword of Damocles», unable to move forward. The ordeal also left her emotionally scarred. She reported experiencing verbal sexual harassment, including explicit threats during her confinement. She also described appalling conditions, unsanitary facilities and inadequate food. «They took everything from me. I no longer have my residence documents, not even my receipt», she said. «It expires in September, and it usually takes six months for a court to review an OQTF. That means I could end up undocumented. In the meantime, I've had promising job offers that I can't pursue because of this order». «A Denial of Rights», says her lawyer Her attorney, Samy Djemaoun, believes her situation stems from an «administrative error» that amounts to «a denial of rights», and reflects a clear intent to bar her from re-entry. «My client has lived legally in France for seven years. She studied, worked, paid taxes. Her student visa expired in February, and she applied to change her status to enter the workforce. She received an APS valid until September 17, 2025. Her application was approved on March 30 for a job offer. On June 17, she was summoned to the prefecture to collect her new permit», he explained on social media. At that appointment, Zahra* was told her new permit was being printed. On June 25, she traveled to Morocco to visit her family, expecting to return on July 9. But at the airport, she was denied entry. «In the meantime, the prefecture quietly issued: a permit refusal, an OQTF, and a 40-year re-entry ban, without notifying her, without revoking her receipt on June 17, and without ever requesting additional documents», Djemaoun said. «They claimed she didn't submit her diploma», he added, «but she had provided a certificate of completion». On July 8, the day before her return, Zahra* was entered into the national wanted persons database, flagged with an administrative 'E notice' banning her from France until June 4, 2065. The notice included instructions: «If the departure deadline has not passed, release the individual». «She was still within the deadline, her receipt was valid until September, yet they held her», the lawyer continued. «So here we have a summons to collect her permit, while at the same time, a refusal, an OQTF, and a re-entry ban are issued in secret. All of it based on a supposedly missing document that was never requested. No official notification. And a wanted notice that calls for her release that the border police ignored». The Paris Court of Appeal later ruled that Zahra's administrative custody was a «disproportionate infringement of her rights». In light of the case, Djemaoun stressed the urgent need to «bring humanity and the rule of law back to public administration». While she awaits a final resolution, Zahra* said she's also facing «a wave of false rumors on TikTok», in addition to racist attacks from far-right groups online. «At this point, I don't care about the hateful comments», she said. «What matters is knowing I've never broken the law. I've always followed administrative procedures, paid my taxes when I was working, and respected the laws of this country». After the emotional toll of recent days, Zahra* says she «just wants justice», so she can work and return to a normal life.
Online Citizen
2 days ago
- Business
- Online Citizen
20,000 affected by HOMES means-testing error; MOH correcting inaccurate subsidies
About 20,000 individuals in Singapore have been impacted by a processing issue in the Household Means Eligibility System (HOMES), according to a statement released by the Ministry of Health (MOH) on 21 July 2025. The glitch, which occurred in January 2025, resulted in inaccurate means-testing for individuals with business incomes and their household members. Most affected received higher-than-intended subsidies and grants, while a smaller group received less than they were entitled to. HOMES, which is managed by MOH, uses income information from the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS) to determine subsidy eligibility. However, changes in data processing timelines in January 2025 caused the system to miscalculate business incomes. As a result, means-testing was inaccurate for individuals and households assessed between 1 January and 27 January. MOH schemes see bulk of impact; reassessments and adjustments underway According to MOH, about 19,000 people under its schemes were affected. Another 1,000 people under schemes administered by the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA), Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF), Ministry of Education (MOE), and Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) were also impacted. MOH stated that HOMES provides means-testing results for various government subsidy schemes. Despite the number affected, MOH said they account for less than 3 per cent of all individuals means-tested in that period. Corrections have now begun, with reassessment of affected cases completed. MOH confirmed that from 21 July 2025, subsidy and grant tiers will be adjusted to reflect intended levels. Individuals who received higher subsidies will not have to repay any excess. Those who received less than intended will be reimbursed, with payments expected to be completed by November 2025. The affected MOH schemes include CareShield Life and MediShield Life premium subsidies and Additional Premium Support (APS). Individuals will receive the correct subsidies at their next policy renewal, while APS recipients will maintain premium coverage based on approved validity. Letters will be sent to all impacted individuals, who are not required to take any action. Under the Community Health Assist Scheme (CHAS), affected cardholders will receive letters detailing necessary steps. For subsidies related to long-term care services, adjustments will be reflected in the next billing cycle or payout date. Schemes like the Seniors' Mobility and Enabling Fund, Equipment Rental Scheme, Home Caregiving Grant and ElderFund are also impacted. Notices of adjusted subsidies or payouts will be sent to those affected. Subsidies for day surgeries, inpatient services, specialist outpatient clinics, polyclinic drugs and vaccines, and community hospital services will also be corrected. Public healthcare institutions will inform impacted individuals and adjust bills from July 2025 onwards. Where applicable, reimbursements will be issued automatically. Non-MOH schemes also affected; corrections to start from 22 July Non-MOH schemes have also been affected by the HOMES processing issue. For ECDA schemes, affected parents, preschools, and early intervention centres will be informed of adjusted subsidies from 22 July. Corrected subsidies will take effect from August 2025. Under the DigitalAccess@Home Scheme managed by IMDA, households affected will be notified from 22 July. Households that were under-subsidised will receive reimbursements automatically. Those who received higher subsidies will retain them for the remainder of their current DAH award validity. Their eligibility will be reassessed upon new applications. MOE will ensure affected students receiving higher education bursaries are informed through their Institutes of Higher Learning. No action is required from students. For children in MOE Kindergarten Care (KCare), corrected subsidies will apply from August 2025. Under MSF's Enabling Transport Subsidy, Taxi Subsidy Scheme, and Assistive Technology Fund, SG Enable will work with service providers to inform affected individuals from 22 July. Corrected subsidies will apply from August 2025. MOH emphasised that all affected individuals will be contacted progressively and no action is needed on their part. The ministry said the incident arose from a one-time misalignment in data processing timelines and added that measures will be taken to prevent similar issues in future.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Atlanta Public Schools to give employees 10% raises
Atlanta Public Schools announced Friday that it was giving its frontline employees raises for the coming fiscal year. Last year, APS gave teachers an 11% raise. For FY2026, bus drivers, custodians and paraprofessionals will get a 10% boost to their wages. School nurses will also get a market adjustment, giving a 1% increase to registered nurses and a 2% increase to licensed practical nurses. 'I want to thank and give credit to the Atlanta Board of Education for continuing to support these financial initiatives for our hardworking staff members amid an increasingly challenging fiscal landscape,' said APS Superintendent Dr. Bryan Johnson. 'Their support affirms the importance of investing in the people who power our mission, and who educate, support, and care for the students of Atlanta Public Schools.' All APS employees can also expect a salary step increment for the coming school year, according to officials. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] TRENDING STORIES: Rivian names Atlanta site as its new East Coast headquarters MARTA CEO steps down, citing 'immigration status, personal matters' Body of third person, a 10-year-old girl, found in GA river [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] Solve the daily Crossword
The Advertiser
7 days ago
- Business
- The Advertiser
The APS's march towards $1 million salaries
Already some of the world's best-paid senior public servants, Australia's departmental secretaries are on the brink of earning million-dollar pay packets in the coming years. Successive pay rises have pushed Prime Minister and Cabinet secretary Steven Kennedy and Treasury secretary Jenny Wilkinson past the $1 million mark for the 2025-26 financial year, and their colleagues are not far behind. Dr Kennedy, who is the country's most senior bureaucrat, earns nearly triple the highest rate for United States departmental secretaries, set at $250,600 USD as of January, or about $386,237 AUD. The march towards million-dollar pay began just over a decade ago, when new legislation returned the power to set senior public service salaries to the Remuneration Tribunal. While Dr Kennedy plays a role in deciding pay for some of his colleagues, the greatest influence is exerted by the tribunal. It recommends secretaries be placed in either an upper or lower level of remuneration, and also considers annual pay rises. The figures it decides on include salary, allowances, benefits and superannuation. In 2011, the tribunal had been concerned for some time that secretary salaries were well below what they should be, and had not kept pace with the rising earnings of their subordinates in the Senior Executive Service. It recommended an overhaul of the structure used to determine pay for APS bosses, rebasing the uppermost point - the salary of the Prime Minister and Cabinet secretary - to more than $800,000 by mid-2014. Ten pay rises since 2011 have brought secretary salaries to where they are today. If the tribunal decides on a 2 per cent pay rise in 2026, without changing the current structure, four more secretaries will rise above the $1 million mark. This will include the heads of Defence, Foreign Affairs and Trade, Health and Infrastructure. Two per cent is the lowest pay rise the tribunal has approved since 2011, and public service employees will receive a 3.4 per cent hike in 2026. While this appears likely given the tribunal's past decisions, it could also decide to hold off. The tribunal must look at annual wage decisions and also weighs up APS wage increases, consumer price index and wage price index. In 2020, as the Australian economy faced the COVID-19 pandemic and public sector wages were frozen, the tribunal announced it would not offer a pay rise. "The Tribunal's primary focus is to provide competitive and equitable remuneration that is appropriate to the responsibilities and experience required of the roles, and that is sufficient to attract and retain people of calibre," it said at the time. "However, this does not happen in a vacuum. The context of the broader jobs market and the economy are also considered." The body can also dock a secretary's pay, based on Machinery of Government changes that shrink the scope of their responsibilities, but incumbents are protected from having pay go backwards. Health secretary Blair Comley has meanwhile received an extra promotion, taking his salary from $910,270 to $983,910, after his department gained oversight of the National Disability Insurance Scheme. While Labor maintains that secretaries' pay is an independent decision, there is room for political intervention. The tribunal noted in 2020 that it had received a request from then finance minister Mathias Cormann and assistant public service minister Greg Hunt to freeze pay for APS bosses, and opted to comply. The steady increase has caused concern among some politicians, who earn considerably less than their senior bureacrats. "They earn more than me," Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said when asked about the issue earlier in the year, in reference to his salary of about $622,000. Tasmanian senator Jacqui Lambie last year called on Parliament to radically reduce the earnings of senior public servants, capping remuneration at about $430,000 unless otherwise approved by the relevant ministers. "Departmental secretaries have important responsibilities, and their pay should be appropriate to ensure those positions are competitively filled by capable people," Senator Lambie said at the time. "But the present levels of pay at the top of the bureaucratic and academic trees don't pass the pub test." Meanwhile, independent senator David Pocock wants to see the tribunal consider performance in its decisions. The current system is based on the size of departments and the scope and complexity of the portfolio. "Senior public servants in Australia are paid well above those in most comparable OECD countries, including in Europe, the UK and US," Senator Pocock said. "We want to be able to attract the best and brightest to lead our public service, but at the same time, we need to ensure remuneration is tied to performance and that is lacking in our current system. "I would like to see reform in this space as we continue to value and build the capacity of the APS more broadly into the future." Public Service Minister Katy Gallagher told The Canberra Times in March that while she was sympathetic to the public's concerns, "it's hard to unwind a system that's been put in place over many years". "I get people's concerns with that, I do," Senator Gallagher said at the time. "I understand it when they see it in isolation, or relate it back to their own experience of work, but I also know how hard [secretaries work]. "These are serious jobs, and we need the best and brightest, and we need to retain them in the public service." Already some of the world's best-paid senior public servants, Australia's departmental secretaries are on the brink of earning million-dollar pay packets in the coming years. Successive pay rises have pushed Prime Minister and Cabinet secretary Steven Kennedy and Treasury secretary Jenny Wilkinson past the $1 million mark for the 2025-26 financial year, and their colleagues are not far behind. Dr Kennedy, who is the country's most senior bureaucrat, earns nearly triple the highest rate for United States departmental secretaries, set at $250,600 USD as of January, or about $386,237 AUD. The march towards million-dollar pay began just over a decade ago, when new legislation returned the power to set senior public service salaries to the Remuneration Tribunal. While Dr Kennedy plays a role in deciding pay for some of his colleagues, the greatest influence is exerted by the tribunal. It recommends secretaries be placed in either an upper or lower level of remuneration, and also considers annual pay rises. The figures it decides on include salary, allowances, benefits and superannuation. In 2011, the tribunal had been concerned for some time that secretary salaries were well below what they should be, and had not kept pace with the rising earnings of their subordinates in the Senior Executive Service. It recommended an overhaul of the structure used to determine pay for APS bosses, rebasing the uppermost point - the salary of the Prime Minister and Cabinet secretary - to more than $800,000 by mid-2014. Ten pay rises since 2011 have brought secretary salaries to where they are today. If the tribunal decides on a 2 per cent pay rise in 2026, without changing the current structure, four more secretaries will rise above the $1 million mark. This will include the heads of Defence, Foreign Affairs and Trade, Health and Infrastructure. Two per cent is the lowest pay rise the tribunal has approved since 2011, and public service employees will receive a 3.4 per cent hike in 2026. While this appears likely given the tribunal's past decisions, it could also decide to hold off. The tribunal must look at annual wage decisions and also weighs up APS wage increases, consumer price index and wage price index. In 2020, as the Australian economy faced the COVID-19 pandemic and public sector wages were frozen, the tribunal announced it would not offer a pay rise. "The Tribunal's primary focus is to provide competitive and equitable remuneration that is appropriate to the responsibilities and experience required of the roles, and that is sufficient to attract and retain people of calibre," it said at the time. "However, this does not happen in a vacuum. The context of the broader jobs market and the economy are also considered." The body can also dock a secretary's pay, based on Machinery of Government changes that shrink the scope of their responsibilities, but incumbents are protected from having pay go backwards. Health secretary Blair Comley has meanwhile received an extra promotion, taking his salary from $910,270 to $983,910, after his department gained oversight of the National Disability Insurance Scheme. While Labor maintains that secretaries' pay is an independent decision, there is room for political intervention. The tribunal noted in 2020 that it had received a request from then finance minister Mathias Cormann and assistant public service minister Greg Hunt to freeze pay for APS bosses, and opted to comply. The steady increase has caused concern among some politicians, who earn considerably less than their senior bureacrats. "They earn more than me," Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said when asked about the issue earlier in the year, in reference to his salary of about $622,000. Tasmanian senator Jacqui Lambie last year called on Parliament to radically reduce the earnings of senior public servants, capping remuneration at about $430,000 unless otherwise approved by the relevant ministers. "Departmental secretaries have important responsibilities, and their pay should be appropriate to ensure those positions are competitively filled by capable people," Senator Lambie said at the time. "But the present levels of pay at the top of the bureaucratic and academic trees don't pass the pub test." Meanwhile, independent senator David Pocock wants to see the tribunal consider performance in its decisions. The current system is based on the size of departments and the scope and complexity of the portfolio. "Senior public servants in Australia are paid well above those in most comparable OECD countries, including in Europe, the UK and US," Senator Pocock said. "We want to be able to attract the best and brightest to lead our public service, but at the same time, we need to ensure remuneration is tied to performance and that is lacking in our current system. "I would like to see reform in this space as we continue to value and build the capacity of the APS more broadly into the future." Public Service Minister Katy Gallagher told The Canberra Times in March that while she was sympathetic to the public's concerns, "it's hard to unwind a system that's been put in place over many years". "I get people's concerns with that, I do," Senator Gallagher said at the time. "I understand it when they see it in isolation, or relate it back to their own experience of work, but I also know how hard [secretaries work]. "These are serious jobs, and we need the best and brightest, and we need to retain them in the public service." Already some of the world's best-paid senior public servants, Australia's departmental secretaries are on the brink of earning million-dollar pay packets in the coming years. Successive pay rises have pushed Prime Minister and Cabinet secretary Steven Kennedy and Treasury secretary Jenny Wilkinson past the $1 million mark for the 2025-26 financial year, and their colleagues are not far behind. Dr Kennedy, who is the country's most senior bureaucrat, earns nearly triple the highest rate for United States departmental secretaries, set at $250,600 USD as of January, or about $386,237 AUD. The march towards million-dollar pay began just over a decade ago, when new legislation returned the power to set senior public service salaries to the Remuneration Tribunal. While Dr Kennedy plays a role in deciding pay for some of his colleagues, the greatest influence is exerted by the tribunal. It recommends secretaries be placed in either an upper or lower level of remuneration, and also considers annual pay rises. The figures it decides on include salary, allowances, benefits and superannuation. In 2011, the tribunal had been concerned for some time that secretary salaries were well below what they should be, and had not kept pace with the rising earnings of their subordinates in the Senior Executive Service. It recommended an overhaul of the structure used to determine pay for APS bosses, rebasing the uppermost point - the salary of the Prime Minister and Cabinet secretary - to more than $800,000 by mid-2014. Ten pay rises since 2011 have brought secretary salaries to where they are today. If the tribunal decides on a 2 per cent pay rise in 2026, without changing the current structure, four more secretaries will rise above the $1 million mark. This will include the heads of Defence, Foreign Affairs and Trade, Health and Infrastructure. Two per cent is the lowest pay rise the tribunal has approved since 2011, and public service employees will receive a 3.4 per cent hike in 2026. While this appears likely given the tribunal's past decisions, it could also decide to hold off. The tribunal must look at annual wage decisions and also weighs up APS wage increases, consumer price index and wage price index. In 2020, as the Australian economy faced the COVID-19 pandemic and public sector wages were frozen, the tribunal announced it would not offer a pay rise. "The Tribunal's primary focus is to provide competitive and equitable remuneration that is appropriate to the responsibilities and experience required of the roles, and that is sufficient to attract and retain people of calibre," it said at the time. "However, this does not happen in a vacuum. The context of the broader jobs market and the economy are also considered." The body can also dock a secretary's pay, based on Machinery of Government changes that shrink the scope of their responsibilities, but incumbents are protected from having pay go backwards. Health secretary Blair Comley has meanwhile received an extra promotion, taking his salary from $910,270 to $983,910, after his department gained oversight of the National Disability Insurance Scheme. While Labor maintains that secretaries' pay is an independent decision, there is room for political intervention. The tribunal noted in 2020 that it had received a request from then finance minister Mathias Cormann and assistant public service minister Greg Hunt to freeze pay for APS bosses, and opted to comply. The steady increase has caused concern among some politicians, who earn considerably less than their senior bureacrats. "They earn more than me," Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said when asked about the issue earlier in the year, in reference to his salary of about $622,000. Tasmanian senator Jacqui Lambie last year called on Parliament to radically reduce the earnings of senior public servants, capping remuneration at about $430,000 unless otherwise approved by the relevant ministers. "Departmental secretaries have important responsibilities, and their pay should be appropriate to ensure those positions are competitively filled by capable people," Senator Lambie said at the time. "But the present levels of pay at the top of the bureaucratic and academic trees don't pass the pub test." Meanwhile, independent senator David Pocock wants to see the tribunal consider performance in its decisions. The current system is based on the size of departments and the scope and complexity of the portfolio. "Senior public servants in Australia are paid well above those in most comparable OECD countries, including in Europe, the UK and US," Senator Pocock said. "We want to be able to attract the best and brightest to lead our public service, but at the same time, we need to ensure remuneration is tied to performance and that is lacking in our current system. "I would like to see reform in this space as we continue to value and build the capacity of the APS more broadly into the future." Public Service Minister Katy Gallagher told The Canberra Times in March that while she was sympathetic to the public's concerns, "it's hard to unwind a system that's been put in place over many years". "I get people's concerns with that, I do," Senator Gallagher said at the time. "I understand it when they see it in isolation, or relate it back to their own experience of work, but I also know how hard [secretaries work]. "These are serious jobs, and we need the best and brightest, and we need to retain them in the public service." Already some of the world's best-paid senior public servants, Australia's departmental secretaries are on the brink of earning million-dollar pay packets in the coming years. Successive pay rises have pushed Prime Minister and Cabinet secretary Steven Kennedy and Treasury secretary Jenny Wilkinson past the $1 million mark for the 2025-26 financial year, and their colleagues are not far behind. Dr Kennedy, who is the country's most senior bureaucrat, earns nearly triple the highest rate for United States departmental secretaries, set at $250,600 USD as of January, or about $386,237 AUD. The march towards million-dollar pay began just over a decade ago, when new legislation returned the power to set senior public service salaries to the Remuneration Tribunal. While Dr Kennedy plays a role in deciding pay for some of his colleagues, the greatest influence is exerted by the tribunal. It recommends secretaries be placed in either an upper or lower level of remuneration, and also considers annual pay rises. The figures it decides on include salary, allowances, benefits and superannuation. In 2011, the tribunal had been concerned for some time that secretary salaries were well below what they should be, and had not kept pace with the rising earnings of their subordinates in the Senior Executive Service. It recommended an overhaul of the structure used to determine pay for APS bosses, rebasing the uppermost point - the salary of the Prime Minister and Cabinet secretary - to more than $800,000 by mid-2014. Ten pay rises since 2011 have brought secretary salaries to where they are today. If the tribunal decides on a 2 per cent pay rise in 2026, without changing the current structure, four more secretaries will rise above the $1 million mark. This will include the heads of Defence, Foreign Affairs and Trade, Health and Infrastructure. Two per cent is the lowest pay rise the tribunal has approved since 2011, and public service employees will receive a 3.4 per cent hike in 2026. While this appears likely given the tribunal's past decisions, it could also decide to hold off. The tribunal must look at annual wage decisions and also weighs up APS wage increases, consumer price index and wage price index. In 2020, as the Australian economy faced the COVID-19 pandemic and public sector wages were frozen, the tribunal announced it would not offer a pay rise. "The Tribunal's primary focus is to provide competitive and equitable remuneration that is appropriate to the responsibilities and experience required of the roles, and that is sufficient to attract and retain people of calibre," it said at the time. "However, this does not happen in a vacuum. The context of the broader jobs market and the economy are also considered." The body can also dock a secretary's pay, based on Machinery of Government changes that shrink the scope of their responsibilities, but incumbents are protected from having pay go backwards. Health secretary Blair Comley has meanwhile received an extra promotion, taking his salary from $910,270 to $983,910, after his department gained oversight of the National Disability Insurance Scheme. While Labor maintains that secretaries' pay is an independent decision, there is room for political intervention. The tribunal noted in 2020 that it had received a request from then finance minister Mathias Cormann and assistant public service minister Greg Hunt to freeze pay for APS bosses, and opted to comply. The steady increase has caused concern among some politicians, who earn considerably less than their senior bureacrats. "They earn more than me," Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said when asked about the issue earlier in the year, in reference to his salary of about $622,000. Tasmanian senator Jacqui Lambie last year called on Parliament to radically reduce the earnings of senior public servants, capping remuneration at about $430,000 unless otherwise approved by the relevant ministers. "Departmental secretaries have important responsibilities, and their pay should be appropriate to ensure those positions are competitively filled by capable people," Senator Lambie said at the time. "But the present levels of pay at the top of the bureaucratic and academic trees don't pass the pub test." Meanwhile, independent senator David Pocock wants to see the tribunal consider performance in its decisions. The current system is based on the size of departments and the scope and complexity of the portfolio. "Senior public servants in Australia are paid well above those in most comparable OECD countries, including in Europe, the UK and US," Senator Pocock said. "We want to be able to attract the best and brightest to lead our public service, but at the same time, we need to ensure remuneration is tied to performance and that is lacking in our current system. "I would like to see reform in this space as we continue to value and build the capacity of the APS more broadly into the future." Public Service Minister Katy Gallagher told The Canberra Times in March that while she was sympathetic to the public's concerns, "it's hard to unwind a system that's been put in place over many years". "I get people's concerns with that, I do," Senator Gallagher said at the time. "I understand it when they see it in isolation, or relate it back to their own experience of work, but I also know how hard [secretaries work]. "These are serious jobs, and we need the best and brightest, and we need to retain them in the public service."
