PART 4 – ALLOWANCES AND EXPENSES OF FORMER MEMBERS

Post-retirement travel expenses

4.1 For section 15 of the PBR Act, the expenses in clause 4.2 are determined for persons who become former members after the commencement of this Determination and are not persons to whom item 1 of the table in subsection 10(1) of the Parliamentary Retirement Travel Act 2002 applies (certain former Prime Ministers).

4.2 The expenses are the fares for up to three return trips on scheduled commercial transport that are taken within three months after the person becomes a former member and are:

a. trips between the person’s home base and Canberra; or

b. trips between the person’s home base and the place of any office provided to the person as a senator, a member of the House of Representatives, a Minister or an office holder.

4.3 Where a trip is on a service that provides for more than one class of passenger travel, expenses are determined only for a trip in economy class.

4.4 Expenses are not payable for trips taken by a person other than the former member.

4.5 Terms in clauses 4.1 to 4.4 that are defined in the PBR Regulations have the same meaning as in those Regulations.

Note: Previous clause 4.6 related to transitional arrangements that no longer have effect.

Multiple entitlements

4.7 To avoid doubt, expenses to which clause 4.2 refers are determined in relation to each occasion on which a person becomes a former member.

Resettlement allowance

4.8 For section 15 of the PBR Act, the allowances mentioned in Table 4.8 are determined for a person who is a former member and:

a the person is a former member by reason of either of the following circumstances:

i. if the person was a member of a political party in the most recent Parliament – the person decided not to nominate for re-election having sought, and failed (for reasons other than misconduct) to receive, the endorsement of that party;

ii. the person nominated for re-election and was not declared elected (for this purpose, it does not matter whether the person sought re-election to the same, or a different, House of Parliament, or for the same, or a different electoral division or State); and

b either:

i. the person was first elected before 9 October 2004, and is not entitled to a retiring allowance under the Parliamentary Contributory Superannuation Act 1948 upon ceasing to be entitled to a parliamentary allowance by reason only of section 22DC of that Act (deferral of retiring allowance); or

ii. the person was first elected on or after 9 October 2004 and declares in writing to the Clerk of the relevant House of Parliament that it is his or her intention to seek employment.