Federal MPs have voted to give the incoming governor-general a 43 per cent pay rise, despite Greens concerns about the size of the wage increase.
Sam Mostyn will be sworn in as governor-general on Monday and will receive a salary of $709,017 for each year of her five-year term, significantly more than the $495,000 pay cheque of outgoing head of state David Hurley.
Ms Mostyn will receive a higher salary in the role as she has not received military pensions from the Commonwealth, which Mr Hurley had collected on top of his governor-general salary.
Laws setting the salary of the governor-general passed the House of Representatives on Tuesday with bipartisan support.
However, the Greens spoke out against the size of the pay packet, saying it was out of touch during a cost-of-living crisis.
Greens MP Elizabeth Watson-Brown said workers in other professions would not get a pay rise of 43 per cent.
"Until all women get a 43 per cent pay rise, the incoming governor-general should not," she told parliament on Tuesday.
"Who else is getting a 43 per cent pay rise at the moment? It's an absolute insult to people struggling with the cost of living."
The salary of the governor-general is outlined in the constitution, and is determined by the estimated average salary of the chief justice of the High Court.
The pay level of the head of state is also not increased for factors such as inflation during the length of the term.
Assistant Public Service Minister Patrick Gorman said the governor-general's salary should not be contentious, given long-standing conventions about how it is set.
"I'm sure people would have been surprised if any other proposal was brought forward," he told parliament.
"Sam Mostyn is an inspired choice, it's been broadly welcomed by the Australian community."
All four Greens MPs, along with fellow crossbenchers Andrew Wilkie, Bob Katter and Rebekha Sharkie, voted against the salary rise.
Debate on the laws will now shift to the Senate, with the bill set to pass before Ms Mostyn takes on the role.
