PM Transcripts

STATEMFNT B~ Y THE PRPIe MINISTER
THE P. T. HON. T;' ILLIYAl c-MAHON
IN THIE HOUSE OF REPR~ ESENTATIVES
INQUIRY INTO PARLIAM" ENTARY SALARIES AND ALLOWANCES
16 SEPTEMBER 1971
I inform the House that the Government has decided that there should be
an inquiry into Parliamentary salaries and allowances.
Parliamentary salaries and allowances were last adjusted in December 1968.
It will be generally accept'ed that there should be periodic reviews of
Parliamentary salaries and allowrances just as there are in other sectors of
the community. It has been represented to me from both sides of the House,
including strong recommendations from the Leader of the Opposition and the
Deputy Leader of the Opposition, at the request of their own Party, that
there should he a review at this time.
In the recent history of this matter, there have been three inquiries
held in 1952, in 1955 and in 1959.. Since then, in 1964 and in 1968, the
salary adjustments were made by decision of the Parliament itself.
The Government has decided that in this instance it should revert to the
inquiry method. We ' nropose that one of the terms of reference will be an
examination and report upon methods by w., hich Parliamentary salaries
and allowances may be determined in future.
The Government has decided to ask Mr. Justice Kerr to undertake this task.
He has accepted.
Mr. Justice Kerr was appointed a Judge of the Commonwealth Industrial
Court in 1966. As a Senior Counsel at the Bar, he had previously had an
extensive uractice in industrial matters. Mr. Justice Kerr is at present
Chairman of a five-man committee that the Government has appointed to inquire
into Pay and other conditions of service of members of the Armed Forces. He
has informed me that the Committee has a Planned programme for carrying out
the remainder of its inquiry and for the submission of its further report.
I have the Jud~ ge's firm assurance that the examination of Parliamentary
salaries he has now been asked to undertake will in no way delay the
completion of the work of the Armed Forces Pay Committee. That work will
proceed and will be carried to finality as originally planned.
The terms of reference of the inquiry will be-
To examine and report upon the salaries and allowances of
Senators and Members of the House of Representatives, and
those paid to Ministers and Senators and Mlembers who are
office-bearers of the Parliament;
If it be reported that it is necessary or desirable to alter
such salaries and allowances or any of them, then to recommend
the nature and extent of the alterations that should be made; and
To examine and report upon methods by which such salaries and
allowances may be determined in future.