EXPLANATORY STATEMENT

 

Select Legislative Instrument 2008 No. 15

 

Issued by the Authority of the Special Minister of State

 

Parliamentary Entitlements Act 1990

 

Parliamentary Entitlements Amendment Regulations 2008 (No. 1)

 

The Parliamentary Entitlements Act 1990 (the Act) provides Members of each House of Parliament with a range of benefits, including electorate office equipment and facilities, overseas delegation travel and personalised stationery and newsletters. Other benefits are also provided under relevant Remuneration Tribunal Determinations.

Section 12 of the Act provides that, in part, the Governor-General may make regulations for the purposes of paragraph 5(1)(b) of the Act, which provides that Members, Parliamentary office-holders and Ministers are entitled to such additional benefits as are prescribed by the regulations.

The Parliamentary Entitlements Regulations 1997 (the Principal Regulations) provide a printing entitlement for Senators and Members for personalised letterhead stationery, newsletters for distribution to constituents and other printed materials, as approved by the Minister, for distribution to constituents.

The Regulations amend the Principal Regulations to:

(a)                reduce the base amount allocated to Members under their printing entitlement from $150,000 to $100,000 (subregulation 3(2));

(b)               remove the provision for Members to rollover up to 45 per cent of their printing entitlement (subregulation 3(3)) – this will operate to prevent any rollover from the 2007-08 financial year to the 2008-09 financial year and onwards;

(c)                delete subregulation 3A(2) (a transitional provision limiting Senators’ printing to $16,667 per financial year, for the period 1 September 2006 to 30 June 2007), and delete subregulation 3A(3) (which set the Senators’ printing entitlement at $20,000 per financial year, beginning on or after 1 July 2007); and

(d)               insert a new subregulation 3A(2) setting the amount allocated to Senators under their printing entitlement per financial year at $16,667.

The Regulations commence on 1 July 2008. The Regulations are a legislative instrument for the purposes of the Legislative Instruments Act 2003.

Consultation

No consultation in relation to these Regulations was undertaken because they do not have a direct or significant indirect impact on business and do not restrict competition. Furthermore, the amendments are of a minor or machinery nature and do not substantially alter existing arrangements. The Office of Best Practice Regulation has advised that the preparation of a Regulation Impact Statement is not necessary.

Details of the Regulations

Regulation 1 – Name of Regulations

 

This regulation provides that the title of the Regulation is the Parliamentary Entitlements

Amendment Regulations 2008 (No. 1).

Regulation 2 – Commencement

This regulation provides that the Regulations commence on 1 July 2008.

Regulation 3 – Amendment of the Parliamentary Entitlements Regulations 1997

This regulation provides that the Parliamentary Entitlements Regulations 1997 (the Principal Regulations) are amended as set out in Schedule 1.

Schedule 1 – Amendments

Item [1] reduces the base amount allocated to Members under their printing entitlements from $150,000 to $100,000 (subregulation 3(2) of the Principal Regulations).

Items [2] removes the provision for Members to rollover up to 45 per cent of their printing entitlement (subregulation 3(3) of the Principal Regulations). This will operate to prevent any rollover from the 2007-08 financial year to the 2008-09 financial year and beyond.

Item [3] deletes subregulation 3A(2) as it was a transitional provision, limiting Senators’ printing to $16,667 per financial year, for the period 1 September 2006 to 30 June 2007, and is now redundant. The provision substituted by item [3] reduces the amount allocated to Senators under their printing entitlement per financial year, from $20,000 to $16,667.

Item [4] deletes subregulation 3A(3), which set the Senators’ printing entitlement at $20,000 per financial year, beginning on or after 1 July 2007, as this regulation has been replaced by the provision at item [3].