MEMBERS’ SALARIES

Evening Star, Issue 26043, 6 March 1947, Page 8

MEMBERS’ SALARIES

LABOUR POOLING ABANDONED SUPERANNUATION IN THE WIND (Special.) WELLINGTON, March 6. The salary pooling system of the Parliamentary Labour Party came to an end when general increases m the honorarium and allowances were approved by Parliament prior to last election. This information became available when inquiries were made as to the present salaries of legislators. The unique salary pooling system was planned prior to Labour coming ‘into power, a national contferenco ot the party resolving that if it won the General Election every elected member would receive more than the Civil List, appropriation if he was willing to give his full time to public service, the plan for redistribution of emoluments came into operation in 1936, when the official salary of a member of the House of Representatives was £4ll per annum, although during the depression period it had come down to £344, compared with the original £SOO. When the scheme came into force it was explained by the Minister of Finance (Mr Nash) that, as the result of pooling Ministerial salaries with those of the Government members, the Prime Minister would receive £SOO less, than the Civil List appropriation, and other Ministers £4OO to £SOO less. Unofficial estimates of the rank-and-file salaries under pooling were that they averaged £546 ner annum., The* need for salary pooling ended when Parliament decided that members of the House of Representatives should be paid an honorarium of £SOO, with £250 for expenses, the latter to he tax free, and that members of the Legislative Council should receive £3is per .annum. This disposed of the need for'the salary'pool. The next development, which is likely to be. considered by the preseut Parliament, is a scheme for superannuation of legislators of Johf service, a Select Committee having° reported favourably •on the proposal. ■ *