Get a plain-English read of PART 4

Turn the raw legal text into a practical explanation grounded in Remuneration Tribunal Determination 2012/04 - Members of Parliament - Entitlements.

PART 4 - CAR TRANSPORT

Senators and Members

4.1 A senator or member shall be provided with car transport at government expense when travelling on parliamentary business, but not including party business (other than meetings of a parliamentary political party, or of its executive, or of its committees, and the national conference of a political party, of which he or she is a member):

(a) for direct travel between his or her home base, electorate office or place of business and the nearest airport or railway station;

(b) in Canberra and locations within a 30 kilometre radius of Parliament House;

(c) in other capital cities and regional centres, except within the city/centre in which a senator or member resides or has an electorate office, and between capital cities and regional centres; and

(d) on visits in the course of parliamentary committee business.

4.2 In addition to clause 4.1, a senator or member shall be provided with car transport at government expense when travelling on official business. For the purposes of this clause, official business has the same meaning as official business for the purposes of clause 3.1.

4.3 A senator or member may use the car transport in Canberra for the purposes of personal emergencies such as dental and medical treatment, funerals and other compassionate circumstances and reasonable personal services such as religious services and banking when these are not available at Parliament House.

4.4 A senator or member may be accompanied by:

his or her spouse or nominee;
a member or members of his or her staff; and/or
other senators or members.

4.5 In addition, a senator or member may be accompanied by another person or persons as long as the passenger’s travel is:

relevant to the purpose of the travel;
for compassionate reasons;
for public interest reasons; and/or
to enable a senator or member to be accompanied by a dependent child or dependent children.

4.6 The Special Minister of State may prescribe the mode or modes of car transport to be made available to a senator or member for the purposes of clause 4.1.

4.7 If, pursuant to clause 4.6, a senator or member is provided with a short-term self-drive car in Canberra on the weekend, he or she may use the car for private purposes but will meet fuel costs of such usage. The car may not be used for commercial purposes.

4.8 If, pursuant to clause 4.6, a senator or member is provided with long-term self-drive car transport in Canberra, and where this is the case, he or she may use the car transport for private purposes, but not for commercial purposes.