Prime Minister John Key gets a pay rise

Prime Minister John Key's salary increases to $448,569. Photo / Getty Images

Prime Minister John Key has just been given a $13,556 pay rise to $448,569 in the new pay rates released this morning by the Remuneration Authority.

Cabinet ministers and Opposition leader Andrew Little have got a $9300 pay rise to $281,881.

And backbenchers have got a $6089 pay rise to $156,136.

The new pay rates are in line with new pay-setting laws for MPs passed in March this year.

It means the pay rise is in line with the same measure that is used for superannuation rises.

The new pay -setting law was rushed through under urgency after the Remuneration Authority issued a pay rise in February that Mr Key thought was too high.

Pay rises are now measured against the quarterly employment survey and taken each June for the previous year.

So the new pay rises is based on the public sector pay increases from July 2014 to June 2015 and is backdated to July 1 this year.

The new pay rates and percentage rise is as follows:

• Prime Minister, 3.11 per cent rise to $448,569.
• Deputy Prime Minister, 3.32 per cent, $318,760
• Cabinet Minister/ Leader of Opposition/ Speaker, 3.14 per cent to $281, 881
• Minister outside cabinet, 3.55 per cent to $237, 917
• Under-secretary, 3.83 per cent to $185,098
• Whip base pay, 3.93 per cent to $171, 137
• Select committee chair, 3.93 per cent to $171,137
• Other Members of Parliament, 4.05 per cent to $156, 136