16th Feb 2017, 6:49 PM – Senate Parliamentary Entitlements Legislation Amendment Bill 2017 - in Committee - No benefits until at least 60 years old

The majority voted against an amendment introduced by Australian Conservative Senator Cory Bernardi (SA), which means it was unsuccessful.

Senator Bernardi explained that:

I think it is only reasonable that those who retire from this place who are eligible for a defined benefit pension scheme are not able to access it until they reach the preservation age, like every other Australian, of 60 years of age. This will prevent circumstances where we have seen leaders of political parties in this place retire at the ripe old age of 38, or thereabouts, and they are still living on the taxpayers' purse.

Amendment text

(1) Schedule 2 , page 19 (before line 4) , before heading specifying Parliamentary Entitlements Act 1990 , insert:

Parliamentary Contributory Superannuation Act 1948

1A At the end of section 18

Add:

(13) Despite anything in this Act, any instrument under this Act or any other law relating to Parliamentary superannuation, a member is not entitled to any benefit under this Act, or any other law relating to Parliamentary superannuation, unless the member is at least 60 years old.