Rent link with spending cuts

Press, 11 April 1984, Page 1

Rent link with spending cuts

Parliamentary reporter A proposal to charge rents on Parliamentary Press Gallery offices originally arose from a management audit, commissioned by the State Services Commission, as a result of the Government’s attempts to cut spending 3 per cent in 1982. The Legislative Department, which is responsible for the running of Parliamentary services, sought an audit to see if its efficiency could be improved anywhere. A private auditor was commissioned and a report, described as “comprehensive,” was duly submitted to the department. Although it found the Legislative Department was running as well as it could in most respects, improvements were suggested, among them, that rentals be charged on car-parks and on offices occupied by the Press Gallery. The proposals were taken up when the wage and price freeze ended. The car-park charges were dropped, on the ground that Parliamentary staff worked awkward hours, and travelling by car was a necessary part of their jobs. However, the proposal to charge a “fair rent” on Press Gallery offices and services was approved by the Minister in charge of the Legislative Department — the Prime Minister, Sir Robert Muldoon. It was areued that the

offices and services, which include furniture, carpets, heating,, lighting, and access to toilets, were provided for a commercial purpose, a point the Press Gallery and news media employers disputed. A letter from the Legislative Department was sent to the Press Gallery on February 8, warning that a “reasonable rental” for space occupied in Parliament Buildings would be charged in future. The letter said that a valuation would be carried out by the Valuation Department to help assess the rent, and a single comprehensive tenancy agreement was proposed to cover the whole Press Gallery, although this point was negotiable. The Press Gallery sought opinions from other Press Galleries in Britain and Australia, and decided to suggest to the Legislative Department that it approach individual employers in the first instance, as they, not the individual reporters, were accredited to the gallery and would be responsible for paying the rents. However, it was also decided that the proposal should be fought on constitutional grounds. The British Press Gallery said that it did not and never had paid any rental for space, while furniture, heat, lighting, a restaurant, cafeteria, lounge, library and television room and

within-London telephone calls were provided free, as well as room for wire operators and telephoning. The gallery took the view that the presence of the press in Parliament was “an integral part of the democratic process,” a belief echoed by a recent Leader of the House, Mr Norman St John Stevas. In Australia, no rent was charged in the Federal Parliament. It never had been and it was not planned for the new Parliament House being erected, said the Federal Parliamentary Press Gallery. A deputation of newspaper publishers met the Prime. Minister, Sir Robert Muldoon, recently to attempt to change his mind, but failed to effect any change. It is now proposed that gallery space be rented at 5121.08 a square metre in the old Parliament Buildings, and at $144.24 in the Beehive. All offices, except a television studio, are in the old buildings. The total rental comes to $61,605, of which more than half, $32,683, falls to the Broadcasting Corporation which has offices for television and radio reporters, and two studios. “The Press” has been charged $2615 a year for its office. Rental will be due from April 1 this year, but methods of payments and terms have still to be determined.