Volume Three 2014 focusing on Parliamentarian Entitlements

Today the Auditor-General of New South Wales, Grant Hehir, released his Volume Three Report to Parliament for 2014 focusing on the review of Parliamentarian entitlements for the year-ended 30 June 2013.

Members of Parliament substantially complying with the rules

New South Wales Members of Parliament, when spending their additional entitlements, substantially complied with the Parliamentary Remuneration Tribunal’s Determination for the year-ended 30 June 2013.

The Sydney Allowance continues to be the entitlement where Members are most likely not to follow the Parliamentary Remuneration Tribunal’s Determination with ten Members not returning the unspent portion of their Sydney allowance by the due date. These Members chose to receive the allowance as an annual fixed amount and agreed to return any unspent portion by 30 September following the year-end.

The Sydney Allowance is provided to Members if their principal place of residence is at least seventy kilometres by road from Parliament House or they reside in an outer non-metropolitan electorate, compensating them for additional costs associated with staying in Sydney to attend Parliamentary business.

“Given a high percentage of Members do not spend their full Sydney Allowance entitlement, the Parliamentary Remuneration Tribunal should consider removing the option of receiving the allowance as an annual fixed amount,’ said the NSW Auditor-General, Mr Grant Hehir.

“Seventeen of the 29 Members who received the annual fixed allowance in 2012-13 spent less than they received and had to return $118,498. Other Members were paid a daily rate when they needed to stay overnight in Sydney,’ he added.

Further Information

Please contact Barry Underwood on 9275 7220 or 0403 073 664; email barry.underwood@audit.nsw.gov.au