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| Jacqui Lambie's bill to link defence pay to that of politicians won't lead to a pay increase. |
The Courier-Mail reports: JACQUI Lambie's bill to "keep the bastards in the blue ties honest" about defence force pay won't lead to a pay increase for the nation's military.
BUT the independent senator wants it to serve as a warning to Prime Minister Tony Abbott.Senator Lambie claimed victory on Thursday after winning upper house support for her private bill that links the pay of defence force personnel to that of politicians or inflation, whichever is higher.
However, it was a pyrrhic victory.
The bill now has to go to parliament's lower house where it's unlikely to be even debated.
Senator Lambie doesn't seem phased.
"This is going to be a very valuable lesson," she told reporters after the Senate vote.
Mr Abbott retreated from his lower-than-inflation pay rise earlier in March, bumping up an initial offer of 1.5 per cent annually to two per cent.
That wasn't enough to convince Senator Lambie to withdraw her bill, which won the support of Labor, the Greens and some crossbenchers.
Full story: http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/breaking-news/senate-debates-defence-force-pay-hikes/story-fnihsfrf-1227269015470?from=public_rss
