TONY Abbott’s freeze on politician’s pay could be set to thaw with the Remuneration Tribunal preparing to consider a pay rise for federal MPs already earning $195,130-a-year.

The Prime Minister, who earns $500,000-a-year, froze the pay of all politicians in the 2014 budget arguing that all Australians including politician’s and top public servants needed to make a contribution to repairing the budget deficit.

The decision had the backing of the Remuneration Tribunal that had already decided not to grant a pay rise based on current economic conditions.

But now the, Remuneration Tribunal has confirmed it is preparing to consider whether MPs should be awarded their first pay rise since 2013.

“The 2015 annual review of remuneration for office holders within the tribunal’s jurisdiction, including parliamentarians, is on its schedule for this half of the calendar year,’’ a spokeswoman told The Sunday Telegraph.

“The tribunal will release a statement on its website detailing any decision it makes on this matter, including its reasons, when a decision is made.’’

In March, the Tribunal deferred an expected decision on a pay hike on the grounds that it needed to consider the outcome of the 2014-15 Annual Wage Review of the Fair Work Commission in June.

“Economic indicators and commentary over the past 12 months confirm that the wages environment is challenging and has slowed. It appears likely that this will continue, with general wage movements in the 2-3 per cent range or potentially lower,’’ the Tribunal said.

media_camera When then Prime Minister Kevin Rudd froze politician’s pay in 2008 Mr Abbott suggested that he could afford to as his wife Therese Rein was a millionaire.

Politician’s last pay increase in 2013 pay followed a string of extraordinary pay hikes that boosted MPs salaries by $50,000 in just 18 months. The $1000 a week pay hike for backbenchers was designed to compensate for the loss of perks including global study trips and reforms to the Gold Pass for retired members that awards MPs free flights.

In 2008, Kevin Rudd froze politician’s pay for 18 months citing the global financial crisis. At the time, Mr Abbott complained bitterly about the $90,000 pay cut he had already suffered after the Liberals lost government suggesting Mr Rudd could afford to freeze pay because his wife Therese Rein, was a millionaire.

“It’s all very well for politicians who have other sources of income or who have very high income from their spouses,” Mr Abbott said.

“It will also allow the Tribunal to consider the Federal Government’s Budget outlook, a range of additional indicators including further Wage Price Index releases from the ABS and data on movements in both private and public sector executive remuneration which are produced annually,’’ the Tribunal said.

The 2014 pay freeze cost Mr Abbott personally around $16,000 in combined tax increases and pay cuts because of the introduction of the deficit levy that hit higher income earners.

Independent Senator Nick Xenophon has previously suggested the system is “a joke’’ with politician’s reserving the right to freeze pay when they wanted but arguing pay rises were the decision of the independent Remuneration Tribunal.