Dan Tehan (Wannon, Liberal Party, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Cyber Security) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker Irons, and can I say how pleasing it is to see you in the chair. I look forward to seeing you on Sunday—or Saturday, I think it is.

I would like to thank all members who have contributed to the debate on the Parliamentary Business Resources Bill 2017 and the Parliamentary Business Resources (Consequential and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2017. Following the recent passage of the bills to establish the Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority—the IPEA—the Parliamentary Business Resources Bill represents the next step in the biggest reforms to the management of parliamentarians' expenses in more than a generation. These bills will implement a key recommendation of the Tune-Conde review into the parliamentary entitlements system by streamlining the legislative and administrative framework for parliamentarians' work expenses. It is the new foundation on which we will build the instruments that prescribe all future parliamentary work expenses.

The current parliamentary expenses framework is complex. It is time for a simpler, more transparent framework that governs our access to taxpayers' money for parliamentary work expenses. New rules and obligations will be placed on us to ensure that we spend taxpayers' money—public resources—carefully and responsibly and only for purposes that relate to our duties as elected representatives. Parliamentarians will only be able to claim expenses for the dominant purpose of conducting parliamentary business. The bills will also require us to ensure that the expenses that we incur represent value for money and that public money is used efficiently, effectively and economically.

Under this new framework, parliamentarians will be personally accountable and responsible for ensuring that they use public resources efficiently, effectively and economically. They must also be prepared to justify publicly their use of taxpayers' money. Parliamentarians that incur expenses outside the new rules and obligations will be personally financially liable for the cost of the expense, and may be subject to additional financial penalties. The penalty loading scheme will impose a 25 per cent penalty loading on top of the cost of any expense that is not repaid to the Commonwealth within 28 days from the date the claim is made.

These bills will also provide IPEA with the power to make written rulings relating to travel expenses and allowances. In making rulings, IPEA will be able to consider whether a travel expense or allowance incurred represents value for money and meets the dominant purpose requirements.

As parliamentarians, we have a duty to ensure that our spending of taxpayers' money meets the public's expectations. Following the establishment of IPEA, these bills are the next step in a robust response to the obvious shortcomings of the old entitlements based system. It will provide greater clarity to parliamentarians in their use of taxpayers' money, while further increasing transparency and accountability.

The Parliamentary Business Resources (Consequential and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2017 deals with minor consequential and transitional matters arising from the implementation of the new parliamentary work expenses framework, as set out in the Parliamentary Business Resources Bill 2017. This bill repeals redundant acts under the old work expenses framework and redundant provisions in acts, and makes arrangements for the smooth transition to the new work expenses framework. This supports the recommendations of the Tune-Conde review as far as they relate to consolidating the legislation in the old parliamentary work expenses framework under one single legislative head of authority.

Once again, I thank all members for their contributions and I commend these bills to the House.

Bill read a second time.

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