Premier Anthony Albanese was questioned on Sunrise about his pay rise to more than $600,000 which comes into effect on Monday.

Anthony Albanese has been questioned about his salary ahead of his pay rise on Monday.

The Prime Minister’s salary will exceed $600,000, reaching a new high for our elected leader’s pay package.

On Saturday morning’s Sunrise show he was asked about his salary, which is about nine times the average Australian salary.

“Monday is not a bad day to run the country either,” said host Matt Doran.

‘Whatever his salary, he will enjoy a pay rise and earn more than $600,000 a year. Given what Australians are going through, do you think he passes the pub test?’

“I admit that I am really well off financially,” the Prime Minister said, adding that it was an independent court that set politicians’ salaries.

‘That’s why we made the decision to intervene on the tax cut, so that both you and I would have our tax cut in half, so that low and middle income people wouldn’t be left out, people who earn less than $45,000. ‘

Starting Monday, Australians will pocket between $350 and $4,500 in extra cash each year, depending on their income level, as part of the tax changes.

In June, the Independent Remuneration Tribunal announced a 3.5 percent pay rise for federal MPs.

The Prime Minister’s salary increases more than $20,000 with the change, to $607,471.

Australia’s highest-paid CEO is paid 50 times more than the Prime Minister: Shemara Wikramanayake, chief executive of the Macquarie Group, reportedly received $30.4 million last year.

The highest-paid banking CEO was Matt Comyn, head of CBA, on $7.3 million. That sum made Comyn the 19th highest-paid CEO in Australia, according to the Australian Financial Review, OpenDirector and global search firm Odgers Berndtson.