This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2017/feb/07/malcolm-turnbull-to-scrap-life-gold-pass-for-former-mp

The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
Malcolm Turnbull to scrap Life Gold Pass for former MPs Malcolm Turnbull to scrap Life Gold Pass for former MPs
(about 1 hour later)
Malcolm Turnbull has surprised his Coalition colleagues by announcing plans to dump the Life Gold Pass – which allows former politicians to fly business class at taxpayers’ expense – with no phase-out period.Malcolm Turnbull has surprised his Coalition colleagues by announcing plans to dump the Life Gold Pass – which allows former politicians to fly business class at taxpayers’ expense – with no phase-out period.
He said the pass should be available only to former prime ministers, though he would not use it when he was no longer PM.He said the pass should be available only to former prime ministers, though he would not use it when he was no longer PM.
The shock announcement has upset some Coalition MPs close to retirement. At least two spoke against the plan in a party-room meeting on Tuesday. The shock announcement has upset some Coalition MPs who are close to retirement. At least two spoke against the plan in a joint party room meeting on Tuesday.
The decision comes in the wake of the latest expenses scandal, when the former health minister Sussan Ley was relegated to the backbench in January for misusing taxpayer dollars to travel to the Gold Coast where she bought a luxury apartment. But Turnbull has characterised the decision as a moral one, saying the government could not expect taxpayers to accept cuts to entitlements if parliamentarians did not do the same thing.
“A lot of Australian families are doing it tough and we have had to make cuts to supplements and to adjust the assets test to help the budget,” he told the Coalition party room. “We’re in tough times and we have to lead by example. We have to spend taxpayers’ money more frugally than if it were our own.”
At least two MPs opposed the plan, objecting on the grounds that it would be applied retrospectively and with no phase-out period.
They said it would be unfair for MPs who had served in previous parliaments in circumstances of lower remuneration and who were no longer in parliament to defend themselves.
But the bill passed the party room with relative ease. Scott Ryan, the special minister of state, said he received “nothing but strong support” from his colleagues for the plan.
The surprise decision comes in the wake of the latest expenses scandal, when the former health minister Sussan Ley was relegated to the backbench in January for misusing taxpayer dollars to travel to the Gold Coast where she bought a luxury apartment.
Turnbull has promised to reform the parliamentary expenses system by implementing the recommendations from last year’s review.Turnbull has promised to reform the parliamentary expenses system by implementing the recommendations from last year’s review.
The expenses review began after the former Speaker Bronwyn Bishop used a taxpayer-funded helicopter to travel to a party fundraiser, costing $5,227, but the government let its recommendations languish last year. The expenses review was initiated after the former Speaker Bronwyn Bishop used a taxpayer-funded helicopter to travel to a party fundraiser, costing $5,227, but the government let the review’s recommendations languish last year.
The Life Gold Pass has been a source of controversy for years. The Coalition announced two and a half years ago that it would scrap it but the legislation is still before parliament. The government said in November it planned to reintroduce the bill and get it passed before Christmas but did not do so. The Life Gold Pass has been a source of controversy for years.
Two-and-a-half years ago, Tony Abbott and Joe Hockey announced that they would scrap the pass completely for former MPs but the legislation is still before parliament. The Turnbull government said in November it planned to reintroduce the bill and get it passed before Christmas but did not do so.
The Greens leader, Richard Di Natale, told Guardian Australia this week he wanted to abolish the gold pass for all former politicians – including former prime ministers – because voters could not stand it.The Greens leader, Richard Di Natale, told Guardian Australia this week he wanted to abolish the gold pass for all former politicians – including former prime ministers – because voters could not stand it.
“Get rid of it for everybody,” he said. “It’s a rort. I think it represents why people are deserting the establishment parties.”“Get rid of it for everybody,” he said. “It’s a rort. I think it represents why people are deserting the establishment parties.”
Ryan confirmed on Tuesday the government would introduce a bill to abolish the Gold Pass immediately, rather than the previous proposal to phase it out the over six years.
“We have the opportunity and we are seizing it, to show Australians that the current generation of politicians is determined to subject themselves to higher standards than ever before,” Ryan said.