Bob Brown (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

It draws interjections straight off from the coalition. But I do not know of any determination by the tribunal that parliament has interfered with to increase. What this legislation is about is the government and the opposition supporting a recommendation which takes away not only the right but also the respon­sibility of parliament to curb a grant of extra payments to parliamentarians at a time when the rest of the community is not getting them. That will come down the line again. Sure, it is good that we have an independent tribunal looking at parliamentary salaries and entitlements, but it is beyond common sense that we remove from parliament the right and responsibility written into the Constitution that we determine ultimately the salaries of parliamentarians. This is a cosy and con­venient piece of legislation to say that the Remuneration Tribunal should keep parlia­mentarians' salaries increasing above the level of salaries and income for the rest of Australians, because that is the trajectory, but please shield us from the responsibility of keeping that in check. This is just an easy way for MPs to say, 'We do not want controversy as we get increases which are out of kilter with the average worker in this country.' I for one, and on behalf of my colleagues, am prepared to take on that responsibility. We have always had it and we should retain it.

What is next? Is the next thing going to be a further recommendation going through the Remuneration Tribunal that our electoral allowances be rolled into the salaries so that we no longer have an obligation, at least an implicit obligation, to spend money on our electorates and have it go instead straight into our pockets?