The territory's three human rights commissioners have pressed for a pay rise for the first time, saying their work is at risk of being undermined by a salary gap.
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In a submission to the Remuneration Tribunal, human rights commissioner Helen Watchirs and her colleagues Alasdair Roy and Mary Durkin argue that their $156,093 salaries should be increased to bring them more in line with salaries for officials such as the Public Advocate and the head of the Legal Aid Commission.
Public Advocate Anita Phillips earns $177,661 a year while the chief executive of Legal Aid, Andrew Crockett, is paid $190,979 a year.
The three commissioners say their work requires them to handle complaints against senior ACT government officials, including the heads of directorates and statutory bodies.
''It is important that the HRC commissioners are seen as sufficiently independent and senior to hold such individuals to account,'' the submission reads.
''It is arguable that the current gap in remuneration … undermines these functions.''
The commissioners say a pay increase would help put them on par with the high-ranking public servants they often investigate.
''The Commission recognises that office holders like the auditor-general and public advocate must be viewed as equal or close in seniority to the heads of agencies and senior public sector figures they may need to audit or investigate,'' they write.
''Ensuring that the auditor-general, for example, has a salary commensurate with directors-general is obviously important for her role in holding such directorates to account.''
The submission points out that the commissioners' salary had been ''largely the same'' as the public advocate's salary but began to fall behind when the tribunal decided to increase the public's advocate's pay packet.
The commissioners say they are paid 14 per cent less than Ms Phillips, though they do not dispute her ''considerable workload'', and 22 per cent less than Mr Crockett.
Their annual salaries are also 65 per cent less than that of Auditor-General Maxine Cooper and half that of Director of Public Prosecutions Jon White who earns a $298,239 annual pay packet.
While agencies like the DPP and Legal Aid are bigger organisations, the commissioners say it takes significant skill to carry out their responsibilities with more limited resources and smaller staff numbers.
The commissioners argue for their salaries to be increased to be ''more commensurate with that of other like statutory office holders, particularly the public advocate and Legal Aid Commission''.
All three commissioners handle complaints, investigate human rights issues, audit government agencies and provide high-level advice to government.
Dr Watchirs is in charge of human rights and discrimination, Mr Roy is children and young people's commissioner and Ms Durkin specialises in disability services and health.