House of Assembly Fifty-Second Parliament, First Session (52-1) 52 1 Parliament of South Australia House of Assembly published Bills Statutes Amendment (Entitlements of Members of Parliament) Bill STATUTES AMENDMENT (ENTITLEMENTS OF MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT) BILL Second Reading Second Reading Second reading debate resumed. The Hon. R.B. SUCH House of Assembly Fisher The Hon. R.B. SUCH (Fisher) (10:42): Thank you, Madam Speaker. I agree with you. I was the Speaker who introduced the policy of acknowledging schools—and I think it is a very important one. What we need is fairness and transparency. We do not want to go back to a situation where MPs determine their own pay and other benefits. As happened recently with local government councillors and mayors, we should put this in the hands of an independent body—the same body that looks at the pay of judges; I do not anticipate we will get the same pay as judges—with access to the research capability to look at what MPs should be paid, what they should get for superannuation, look at their other benefits and remove some anomalies currently affecting serving members of parliament. The proposed pay rise for federal MPs—hence for us—has been sidelined for a while—because of the election, I gather. My understanding of the proposal is that there has been a change so that, in order to increase the pay of MPs, some of the other benefits will be reduced or removed. That is a sensible approach. I am in the generous superannuation scheme where, ironically, I would get more money if I retired than I do by staying here. Some people ask, 'Well, why are you here?' Well, I am here because I love doing what I do. There needs to be some changes but, historically, MPs got a higher super to make up for the fact that their pay was not always necessarily at the right level. That is a nonsense. Putting all these financial matters in the hands of an independent tribunal is the way to go. It would be make it clear and transparent. I do not believe the public would have a problem with that. They have a problem with MPs helping themselves directly to taxpayers' money. I commend the bill to the house. It is a fair, sensible measure, and I ask members to support it. Debate adjourned on motion of Mrs Geraghty.