Parliamentary Remuneration (Determination of Remuneration) Amendment Bill

Second Reading

Adjourned debate on second reading.

(Continued from 8 September 2015.)

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: I call the deputy leader, who will be the lead speaker.

Ms CHAPMAN (Bragg—Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (16:43): And brevity will be its feature. Can I say that the opposition has considered the bill and I note that the Hon. Rob Lucas, on our behalf, has had a number of extensive discussions with the Attorney and he has provided information as to the basis, models and proposed implementation of this bill, and the opposition indicates its support for the same.

Essentially, it is a bill to transfer the responsibility to make determinations of allowances and other benefits that are paid to members of parliament and persons of other office (ministers, premiers, speakers and the like) to the Remuneration Tribunal. The bill makes provision for the powers for the tribunal to give consideration to how future payments are made to members of parliament in line with that being a lump sum over and above for salary and a number of those benefits and that a specific regime excluding members of the committees of the parliament will be retained in the schedule in the act.

The government presented this as being consistent with their new regime of transparency. I think there is no question that the public, having had a diet of occasions when there has been public and media coverage of particular events that they find to be both unattractive and unjustified, is looking to have some resolution of this. The government's model to propose that the remuneration tribunal, being an independent body, undertake this task I think is commendable. I think in the media conversation of this bill to date, which inevitably flows, there is a welcoming of that approach that it will be consistent with a level of transparency which it needs to have. If this is to act as the sunshine of the parliament, it will be the antiseptic that is expected to flow.

I just make one observation, that is, sometimes there is a criticism made where the government and opposition, who represent, largely, the major parties, appear to act together to rush this type of legislation through the parliament. I just want to place on the record that we have not acted in that manner. We have had a number of discussions with the government in respect of the models that they have proposed.

There are times that we do act with the government to support the swift passage of the legislative process. I think of one just before the last election when I think within two days we pushed through the APY lands legislation to deal with what was alleged to be a critical situation on the APY lands where the appointment of an administrator was necessary and we supported the government to do that. It is not often that we do that. This is a process that will occur. We do not have any other speakers and if the government does not have any other speakers it will follow the normal course of passage through this house and, no doubt, enjoy some colourful attention in the other place.

The Hon. J.R. RAU (Enfield—Deputy Premier, Attorney-General, Minister for Justice Reform, Minister for Planning, Minister for Housing and Urban Development, Minister for Industrial Relations, Minister for Child Protection Reform) (16:48): I thank the deputy leader for her contribution. She was as good as her word and I thank her for her support of the bill. I would follow in echoing her remarks, however, that this is a matter that has been the subject of some consideration for a while and it is passing through here in the ordinary course, it will go to the other place in the ordinary course and they will do what they do up there in the ordinary course. Thank you, again, to the Deputy Leader of the Opposition.

Bill read a second time.

Third Reading

The Hon. J.R. RAU (Enfield—Deputy Premier, Attorney-General, Minister for Justice Reform, Minister for Planning, Minister for Housing and Urban Development, Minister for Industrial Relations, Minister for Child Protection Reform) (16:49): I move:

That this bill be now read a third time.

Bill read a third time and passed.