Finlayson Christopher: Members of Parliament (Remuneration and Services) Bill — Third ReadingText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeFinlayson Christopher: Members of Parliament (Remuneration and Services) Bill — Third Reading[Sitting date: 14 November 2013. Volume:694;Page:14717. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]Hon CHRISTOPHER FINLAYSON (Attorney-General) on behalf of thePrime Minister: I moveThat the Members of Parliament (Remuneration and Services) Bill be now read a third time. The Members of Parliament (Remuneration and Services) Bill represents a significant improvement in modernising the law relating to members’ remuneration and entitlement to services. The bill establishes a new framework for setting entitlements for members of Parliament and the executive. In doing so it implements subject to some modifications many of the recommendations in the Law Commission’s report Review of the Civil List Act 1979: Members of Parliament and Ministers. The bill repeals the Civil List Act 1979—[Interruption]The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (H V Ross Robertson): Order! I am sorry to interrupt the member. It is a longstanding convention that members should not conduct conversations in the House unless it is necessary to do so and then only so as to not disturb the proceedings. Would members leaving the Chamber please do so and show some courtesy to the member who is trying to address the House. It is good conduct and it is being considerate of others.Hon CHRISTOPHER FINLAYSON: Thank you. I will not name and shame Mr Twyford on this occasion. The bill modernises and modifies the law relating to the salaries and allowances of MPs; support services provided for MPs Ministers and certain electoral candidates; annuities and other benefits and privileges for former Prime Ministers; and benefits and privileges for former members of Parliament.As members know the bill makes the Remuneration Authority rather than the Speaker responsible for determining accommodation services for MPs and Ministers and also travel services for family members of MPs. It makes the Speaker responsible for setting directions on travel and communication services for MPs and party and member support funding. Thirdly it makes the Minister responsible for Ministerial Services responsible for determining any additional travel services for Ministers over and above those set by the Speaker for MPs. This division of responsibility reflects what are intersecting interests here one interest being that of having entitlements determined independently from those who receive them and the other being the democratic interest in the proper operation of the House and the ability of its members to carry out their functions.The bill also updates the legislative framework for the setting of salaries and allowances for MPs and Ministers. It addresses the current gap in the law relating to authorisation of the starting date for payment of salaries to MPs who enter Parliament mid-term following the vacancy of a seat held by a list member of Parliament. The proposed amendment will allow these members to be paid lawfully. The bill validates the commencement of salaries paid to mid-term list MPs since 1996 and it is a measure that will not incur further costs to the Crown.The bill also substantially increases the financial penalty for MPs who are absent from the House without permission with deductions starting after 3 days’ absence and the amount deducted reflecting the member’s actual salary rather than the salary of an ordinary MP. The financial penalty for absent members used to be based on an ordinary MP’s salary. Now in the bill it is based on the actual salary of the member and as I said it commences after 3 days of absence rather than 9 days’ absence in the original proposal.The bill introduces a financial penalty for members who are suspended from the House. The clauses covering financial penalties for members suspended from the House are new and reflect a recommendation made by the Standing Orders Committee.The bill also provides for entitlements to services to be determined in a way that takes into account the particular requirements of members with physical or sensory impairments. As all MPs are aware in recent years there have been a number of moves to improve transparency around the costs of the House and this bill codifies those moves. It imposes a statutory obligation on the general manager of Parliamentary Service and the Department of Internal Affairs to publish quarterly reports on travel and accommodation costs for both MPs and Ministers. It also imposes a statutory obligation on the Clerk of the House to publish quarterly reports on MPs’ and parties’ use of the interparliamentary relations programme.The bill also addresses the operation of the scheme providing certain former members with entitlements. As recommended by the Law Commission the bill legislates for the former member travel entitlements of MPs elected before—take note Mr Assistant Speaker—1999 thereby making those entitlements transparent and able to be changed only by legislative amendment. It introduces a statutory regime that sets out how these travel entitlements can be lost including for various offences. It also imposes a statutory obligation on Parliamentary Service to publish on an annual basis the travel expenses of former MPs.In conclusion this bill makes a number of very sensible changes and these are done to ensure that the House and its members are properly supported in a way that maintains confidence in the integrity of Parliament. I commend the bill to the House.