Jacinta Allan

It has been revealed that the members of the Treaty Authority panel picked to negotiate with Elders and the Indigenous community, will have a salary of $380,000 a year if they work full time — plus expenses.

The pay packets of the referees – who will be officially named today – have been labelled “alarming” and “way out of step with community expectations”.

Senator Jacinta Price was among those who have slammed the move. She warned it would cause further division in the community after the failed Voice referendum.

“It is unbelievable that at a time when Australian families are struggling with the cost of housing, food and fuel the Victorian Labor government are going to spend two million dollars a year on dividing Australians further,” she said.

“How can the Labor government look struggling Victorians in the eye and justify this utterly ridiculous waste of money?”

The appointment of the panellists also comes as the Victorian government is slashing thousands of jobs from the public sector in order to reduce the state’s ballooning debt.

Opposition Aboriginal Affairs spokesman Peter Walsh said “these pay packets are nearly as much as the Victorian Premier’s wage and more than an elected minister”.

“While Victorians struggle with Labor’s cost of living crisis, the government is creating new positions that are clearly not in step with the expectations of hardworking Victorians.

“Premier Jacinta Allan must tell Victorians why such generous salaries are justified,” Mr Walsh said.

The current Treaty Authority pay packet, which are understood to be $380,000 plus expenses, are on par with the salary of an Associate Judge of the Supreme Court, which is $387,125.

It’s five times the average wage of a registered nurse and even higher than the remuneration for the Deputy State Coroner which sits at $354,183.

As of July Premier Allan’s as the highest paid state leader earns $421,190 – not including expenses.

While cabinet ministers each receive about $380,000.

A government spokesperson has said the pay was in line with expectations, but not all of the panellists would work full-time.

“Consistent with the bipartisan Treaty Authority and Other Treaty Elements Act 2022, the Panellists are paid a daily or half daily rate in accordance with the Appointment and Remunerations Guidelines, as they are not full time roles,” they said.

No detail was provided on individual pro-rata contracts.

It’s understood the plan to pay the five panellists similar to a department executive was decided independently of the state government with the deal signed off by the First People’s Assembly board as part of the Treaty Authority Agreement