About the Tribunal

Jurisdiction

Under the Remuneration Tribunal Act 1995img-icn-extlink the Tribunal must inquire into and determine the remuneration, allowances and other entitlements to be granted to particular offices every year. These offices include:

  • the Speaker, Chief Minister, Ministers and other Members of the Legislative Assembly;
  • the Chief Justice, Associate Judge and Acting Judges of the ACT Supreme Court;
  • Chief Magistrate, Magistrates and Special Magistrates of the ACT Magistrates Court;
  • the President, Full-time Presidential Member, Part-time Presidential Member, Acting Presidential Member, Full-time Senior Member, Senior Member, Ordinary Member of the ACT Civil and Administrative Tribunal;
  • the Head of Service, Directors-General and Executives in the ACT Public Service;
  • full-time holders of statutory offices including the Clerk of the Legislative Assembly, Auditor;
    General, Director of Public Prosecutions, Electoral Commissioner and Commissioner's in the Human Rights Commission; and
  • Part-time Public Office Holders (statutory and non-statutory).

In addition to the offices listed in the Remuneration Tribunal Act 1995, the Chief Minister is able to refer offices to the Tribunal.

In some cases public officials may receive remuneration, allowances and other entitlements from another source, for example Directors-General, Executives and full time Statutory Office Holders receive an additional salary entitlement under the Public Sector Management Standards 2016img-icn-extlink. Under the Act, the Remuneration Tribunal cannot make a determination that replaces an entitlement provided elsewhere.

Membership

Under the Remuneration Tribunal Act 1995img-icn-extlink, the Executive may appoint between one and three members to constitute the Tribunal. Where more than one Member is appointed the Executive must appoint one Member as Chairperson. Members are appointed for terms of up to five years and may be reappointed.

The current Members of the Tribunal are:

  • Ms Sandra Lambert AM (Chair), appointed 11 March 2019 until 30 September 2027

    • Ms Lambert has over 20 years’ experience within the ACT Public Sector, most notably holding the Chief Executive position of the then ACT Department of Disability, Housing and Community Services from 2002 – 2010 and the Co-ordinator General for the Commonwealth’s Nation Building Stimulus Program in 2009. During her time as Chief Executive, Ms Lambert drove the establishment of Hands Across Canberra and was its inaugural Deputy Chair. After 2010 she held a variety of positions including on the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Commission, the Cultural Facilities Corporation, the Land Development Agency Board (LDA) and as Chair of the Risk, Business Continuity and Security Committee in the then Department of Human Services (DHS), before spending almost two years in New York working as an Education and Leadership Consultant. On returning to the ACT late in 2015 she resumed her role on the LDA and was Deputy Chair for its final year of operation. Currently Ms Lambert works as a leadership coach, is a member of the ACT Homes for Homes Advisory Group and of the Board of the Australian Children’s Early Education and Care Quality Authority.  She completed a Bachelor of Arts and Diploma of Teaching at Canterbury University in New Zealand, is a current Fellow of the Australian Institute of Managers and Leaders and was admitted to the Order of Australia in 2012 for expertise in public sector leadership and management. Ms Lambert has been appointed to the Remuneration Tribunal since 1 October 2017.

  • Mr Michael Manthorpe PSM FIPAA (member), appointed 01 March 2023 until 28 February 2028

    • Mr Manthorpe has over 20 years’ experience within the Australian Public Sector, eight of which were at Deputy Secretary level. Mr Manthorpe was the Commonwealth Ombudsman from 2017-2021. He was also the Ombudsman for the ACT. Mr Manthorpe joined the public service in 1984 and in the subsequent decades worked on reforms spanning workplace relations, the labour market, early childhood education, immigration and border protection. Mr Manthorpe led the delivery of Australia’s refugee, citizenship and visa programs at what is now the Home Affairs Department from 2014-17. As a Deputy Secretary or CEO he managed or oversaw enterprise bargaining, pay fixation for senior executives, and engagement with the Commonwealth Remuneration Tribunal on the settlement of pay arrangements for statutory office holders. Mr Manthorpe was awarded the Public Service Medal in 2010 for leading the Australian Government’s response to the insolvency of ABC Learning, which was then Australia’s largest childcare provider.  He was awarded a Wolfensohn Scholarship for high calibre senior executives in 2015, which enabled him to extend his leadership and public policy insights at the Harvard Kennedy School in the United States. He is Deputy President and Councillor at the Institute of Public Administration Australia (IPAA ACT) and was awarded a Fellowship of IPAA for his outstanding contribution to public service shortly after his retirement from full-time work.

  • Ms Pam Davoren PSM (member), appointed 20 May 2024 until 19 May 2029

    • Ms Davoren has over 20 years’ experience in the ACT Public Service with 14 years in central agency senior leadership roles. In this capacity, she led the group responsible for public sector employment frameworks and strategy, and industrial relations. As Deputy Director-General of Policy and Cabinet, she led across-government policy development and advice, Cabinet support and intergovernmental relations. In 2012 she was awarded a Public Service Excellence Award and, in 2013, a Public Service Medal for leadership of coordinated and integrated policy development and service delivery across the ACT Public Service. Earlier in her career, she worked with the Victorian Commissioner for Equal Opportunity where she investigated and conciliated complaints under Victorian and Commonwealth discrimination laws. After leaving ACT Government, Ms Davoren worked as a consultant conducting reviews and investigations. Ms Davoren has degrees in Arts (anthropology and psychology) and Law.

Annual Reviews

The Tribunal must review all offices within its jurisdiction at every twelve months. To do this the Tribunal has grouped similar offices and holds two major reviews each year:

Autumn Review (Determinations commence 1 July)

  • Members of the Legislative Assembly
  • Head of Service, Directors-General and Executives of the ACTPS
  • Full-time Holders of Public Office
  • Clerk of the Legislative Assembly

Spring Review (Determinations commence 1 November)

  • the Judiciary (ACT Supreme Court, ACT Magistrates Court, ACT Civil and Administrative Tribunal, the Director of Public Prosecutions)
  • Part-time Holders of Public Office.

The Tribunal may meet once or several times in a year to conduct these reviews. Where more than one sitting is held, the Tribunal may review all or some offices at that sitting.

Public Notification

All major reviews are advertised on the ACT Remuneration Tribunal website and in the Canberra Times approximately two months prior to the Tribunal meeting.

Submissions generally close six weeks after advertising.

Submissions

Submissions can be lodged by anyone, including those most directly affected by the likely outcome. Generally, submissions will be published on this website.  Requests for confidentiality can be made and the Tribunal will consider each request on its merits.

Ad hoc Reviews

Ad hoc reviews may occur where the Chief Minister has referred a new office to the Tribunal or an issue has arisen that is considered to be exceptional circumstances that the Tribunal decides to deal with outside the scheduled major reviews. Ad hoc reviews are not advertised, however depending on the matter, interested parties may be approached directly for submissions.

Determinations

When a determination is made it is tabled in the Legislative Assembly, notified on the Legislation Register and made available on the Remuneration Tribunal Website.

Determinations are also provided to the Chief Minister, Directors-General and agency heads for information.  Advice is sent to interested parties such as relevant office holders.  In the case of part-time office holders, Directors-General and agency heads are requested to notify relevant boards and committees within their portfolio of the Tribunal review.