Walker Holly: Members of Parliament (Remuneration and Services) Bill — First Reading 
Walker Holly: Members of Parliament (Remuneration and Services) Bill — First Reading 
[Volume:678;Page:1415] 
HOLLY WALKER (Green) 
: 
 I am proud to rise to support the Members of Parliament (Remuneration and Services) Bill along with my colleagues and I acknowledge the cross-party support that it has received. I think it is fair to say that the Green Party wholeheartedly endorses this bill not just in a grudging way. It represents the culmination of work over a number of years especially by our co-leader Metiria Turei to bring greater transparency to MPs’ salaries and entitlements. The Green Party has I think set the agenda for this for quite a long time now by voluntarily releasing our expenses and entitlements and publicly encouraging other parties to do the same so that that has now been adopted as standard practice.  
Taking decisions about entitlements out of the hands of MPs will be good for transparency and good for the reputation of this House. We need to deliver a remuneration system that is simple that is clean and that is fair. We need changes that the public can have confidence in. It is our responsibility to live up to the standards I think are expected of parliamentarians and to improve the perception of Parliament. My colleague Gareth Hughes touched on this earlier. We do not have a great reputation in this place and it is very important that we do what we can to improve that perception and live up to those standards.  
As my colleague Catherine Delahunty said yesterday in a different debate in many ways we here as MPs funded by the taxpayer are beneficiaries and we have to ensure that we are serving the public well and giving them value for money.  
I have heard the view expressed—to explain perhaps why this change is so long in coming—that people outside of this House who do not understand or have knowledge of the procedures in here or what is expected of MPs will not be in a good position to make decisions about MPs’ entitlements. I fundamentally reject that argument. I think that if that is the case then it is our fault as MPs that what we do in here is not well understood. We need to make sure that everything we do is bringing greater transparency and accountability into this House.  
To briefly cover what the bill does most travel and accommodation entitlements for MPs and Ministers will now be set by the Remuneration Authority rather than the Speaker or the Minister responsible for Ministerial Services and we support that. The current voluntary disclosure for MPs’ travel and accommodation expenses will become a statutory requirement. We think that is a direct result of the Green Party’s voluntary leadership and disclosure on this in 2009 and we are greatly in support of that. The amount that can be deducted from MPs’ salaries for non-attendance will increase from the ludicrous $10 a day to 0.2 percent of an MP’s salary or $270 a day for most ordinary members of Parliament. We are absolutely in favour of that as well. We have consistently called for an independent body to have control over MPs’ entitlements and pay so handing over some responsibility to the Remuneration Authority is absolutely a step in the right direction.  
It seems to me very clear that travel entitlements for MPs should be for work-related purposes only and that is how we in the Green Party choose to apply this rule. I think it is very dangerous to mix up travel entitlements with remuneration including the international travel subsidy. Travel is not a form of remuneration and it should not be treated as such so it is good that this decision will now be in the hands of the independent authority.  
I want to thank members from other parties for their contributions including those members who will be considering this bill at the Government Administration Committee. As a member of that committee I look forward to considering it. I think it is fair to say we will be giving it due attention and dealing with it as swiftly as we can. I also want to thank Louise Upston for her contribution just now saying that there will not be a motion curtailing the process for this. I think it is absolutely right that it has the full transparent and democratic process that we accord to other bills.  
I am very proud to stand in support of this bill from the Green Party. I look forward to a constructive debate and consideration and hearing of submissions at the Government Administration Committee. 
Bill read a first time. 
Bill referred to the Government Administration Committee.