Auchinvole Chris: Members of Parliament (Remuneration and Services) Bill — First Reading 
Auchinvole Chris: Members of Parliament (Remuneration and Services) Bill — First Reading 
[Volume:678;Page:1406] 
CHRIS AUCHINVOLE (National) 
: 
 It is a pleasure to follow the two previous speakers: the Attorney-General who introduced the bill on behalf of the Prime Minister and indeed the Hon Trevor Mallard who speaks with a wealth of experience on these matters through the long service he has engaged in. I think this will be a very very interesting bill to have through the Government Administration Committee and the discussion will be very very useful.  
We members of this Parliament are truly fortunate in that we are able to run for seats in this Chamber supported by the public purse. We are also fortunate that the people of this nation have shown a similar faith in making that money available through the democratic systems that see us here. It is this faith that the Members of Parliament (Remuneration and Services) Bill seeks to strengthen because it is probably no news to anybody in the country that we have been through a period of questions over the transparency of the way that we are served in the Parliament through various pay and conditions associated with the job we do. We must never forget where we come from and whose money it is that we are spending. 
I think New Zealand does have an enviable international reputation for being free from some of the financial problems that plague other legislatures where things are not transparent. A lot of work has been done though in recent times by the Speaker and by Government to make things more transparent and to make them more obvious. There has been a genuine non-partisan approach which is a pleasure to see. When it works in Parliament it works well. It is that transparent independent and non-partisan approach that this bill seeks to strengthen to increase the transparency around entitlements ensuring most travel and accommodation entitlements for MPs and Ministers will actually not be set by the same people who could be said to be the beneficiaries but will be set by the Remuneration Authority supported by a person with appropriate experience to assist. The current voluntary disclosure of MPs’ salaries travel and accommodation expenses will become mandatory so that people have the assurance that we are not doing it just to satisfy a passing whim; it will be part of the job that those figures are produced. 
I have heard a phrase coined this afternoon which I do not want to be credited with coining myself: the “Carter clause”. It is not one of my choice but it probably is appropriate because I think people were stunned to realise that there was a fine of $10 a day for not turning up. Frankly that is a joke. If I may reflect a personal opinion on former members’ allowances I often wondered why the grateful nation should continue to shell out after people had left this place of employment. I was a bit surprised by it and I am very pleased to see that that is a contained feature of the past and there is no suggestion that that will be moved into the future. 
This bill takes the present steps that have been made considerably further than those already taken. I think there will be good discussions. There will be new questions that come from the submissions we receive but National is committed to standing by this bill. I am delighted to think it will hopefully throughout the House receive support from all parties so that it is a truly non-partisan bill and not plagued by pettifogging positions of people treating things any differently from the way this deserves to be treated. We know where we come from and this is why I support the bill and I call on every other member of the House to do the same. Thank you.