Government appoints Remuneration Authority Chair

The Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety Michael Wood has today announced the appointment of Geoffrey Summers as the Chair of the Remuneration Authority (the Authority) for a three-year term.

The Authority is responsible for setting the rates of pay and allowances for Members of Parliament, the Judiciary and Local Authority Members.

Geoff Summers replaces former Chair Dame Fran Wilde whose term has expired after being on the Authority since 2015.

“Mr Summers is a highly capable, respected, and experienced Deputy Chair and his move into the position of Chair demonstrates this. He will also continue to make a valuable contribution to the Authority’s work, with the confidence of the public,” said Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Michael Wood.

Currently the Deputy Chair of the Authority, Mr Summers has been a member of the Remuneration Authority since 2016 and has an extensive experience in human resources.

He has a deep background in remuneration with extensive knowledge of the Authority and the role it plays in the public sector.

“It’s vital for the Chair of the Authority to have significant leadership and governance experience, and a deep understanding of central government and local authority processes.

“Mr Summers’ public credibility in employment management and remuneration enables him to understand a variety of legislative frameworks and appropriate remuneration for the work of Members of Parliament, Local Authorities and the Judiciary,” said Michael Wood.

There will be a new Deputy Chair appointed later in 2022.

Note to the editor:

The Authority consists of the Chair and two other members appointed by the Governor General on the recommendation of the Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety.

The Authority was established under the Remuneration Authority Act 1977 (the Act) and is responsible for considering and determining the remuneration, salaries and allowances for a wide range of elected representatives and other public officials, including the salaries and allowances of Members of the House of Representatives.

Section 5 of the Act specifies that the Authority shall consist of three members. One of the members is also appointed as the Chair.

The term of the current Chair of the Authority, Dame Fran Wilde, expired in December 2021 and she is not seeking reappointment to the Authority.

Prior to his appointment as a Member of the Authority in 2016, Geoffrey Summers was Principal Consultant with Strategic Pay, a market leader in strategic remuneration and performance management. In addition, he has significant experience as Director of Human Resources within state sector organisations and experience in all aspects of employment relationships and human resources policy development.

Mr Summers is a Past President of the Human Resources Institute of New Zealand and served on the Ministerial Committee to review the Code of Good Faith Bargaining.