A daring proposal to endow former Victorian MPs with as much as 18 months of wage whereas looking for new employment would price taxpayers thousands and thousands of {dollars}.
A submission made by Deakin University to the Victorian Remuneration Tribunal recommends former MPs be higher supported as they transition out of public life.
Commissioned by former MPs and the parliament to evaluate “transition to life after parliament”, Deakin researchers discovered politicians struggled to achieve employment after leaving workplace.
The suggestion, now earlier than the tribunal, requires a six month fee based mostly on a primary MP wage – about $96,000 – after which two additional instalments of the identical quantity if no work is discovered within the first six months.
In complete, a former MP may acquire as much as $288,000 below the proposed scheme over 18 months.
If the previous MP did discover work in that point, they’d be liable for advising the parliament to chop off their fee.
Deakin’s modelling means that if there have been a excessive variety of departing MPs – i.e. 52 – in any given election, the price to taxpayer may add as much as greater than $4 million in “separation” funds.
However, if not less than 20 per cent of these waited the complete six months to discover a new job, it could price as much as $4.29 million.
In comparability, Deakin additionally undertook modelling of a six-monthly fee set towards the common employee earnings, which might price $2.08m – however this didn’t type the idea of their submission.
A separation fee system already exists, which is barely offered to dependants of an MP who dies in workplace; an MP who doesn’t search re-election; or in any other case ceases to be an MP offered there may be not corrupt conduct.
In their submission, Deakin researchers used interviews with former MPs to strengthen their argument for the funds.
“I was unemployed. I was the family’s main income earner. All of a sudden, things that you take for granted … like paying for the mortgage … all becomes a bit shaky, so it was hard,” one former MP recounted.
The submission additionally detailed how mentally draining dropping a seat may very well be.
“I was in such a terrible headspace that I probably wasn’t applying as much as I should have been, but I don’t think I was getting interviews for that reason,” one former MP advised the researchers.
“I’ve had friends that have been in this position before over the years, when you’re depressed and at a low ebb, you kind of don’t get traction with potential employers, because I think there’s a vibe around that,” one former MP advised the researchers.
The Remuneration Tribunal is accepting submissions till the top of this month, earlier than it makes any choices relating to MPs pay.
Source: www.perthnow.com.au
