Parliamentarians gave themselves a 4.5 percent salary increase last night in line with the policy that MP salaries increase at the same rate as those of civil servants.

Finance Minister Paula Cox also revealed that an independent, arbitrary committee will be set up to review the salaries of MPs and Senators in hopes of quantifying just how much the jobs are worth in today's day and age.

However Shadow Health Minister Michael Dunkley called on all MPs to show the people that they are worth their paycheques, saying that elected officials must work together to erase the public perception that they are not doing the jobs they are being paid to do.

"We have a public image problem that we need to resolve," he said.

Premier Alex Scott hit back at Mr. Dunkley, however, saying the Opposition must stop accusing the Government of "mismanagement" and other things because it was driving the division between all MPs and the public.

When Shadow Finance Minister Grant Gibbons questioned the amount of the increase, observing that it was higher than the rate of inflation, Ms Cox said the policy has been to tie that increase to the increase given to civil servants.

The pay increases were unanimously passed.