NSW: Super reform at next poll may affect pollies' calibre: Carr

AAP General News (Australia)
02-13-2004
NSW: Super reform at next poll may affect pollies' calibre: Carr

By Samantha Baden

SYDNEY, Feb 13 AAP - Changes to the NSW parliamentary super scheme would come into
effect at the next state election, NSW Premier Bob Carr said today.

But he said reform of the scheme could affect the calibre of people attracted to a
parliamentary career.

NSW is the first state to announce changes to MPs' super after Prime Minister John
Howard said yesterday he would lower the rate of federal politicians' super, to bring
it into line with community standards.

Mr Howard's surprise announcement came after Opposition leader Mark Latham said a federal
Labor government would cut MPs' super entitlements.

Mr Carr said today changes to the NSW parliamentary super scheme would come into effect
at the next state election, due in 2007.

"Any MPs entering at the next election will be enrolled in a new less generous community
standard super scheme," Mr Carr told reporters.

But he voiced concerns the reforms could impact upon the calibre of people attracted
to a parliamentary career.

"I anticipate down the track we could be less likely to attract someone mid-career
from a good profession," Mr Carr said.

"And it could mean a slower turnover of MPs. I think one of the advantages of the scheme,
generous though it's been, is that you get a faster turnover of MPs."

Mr Carr dismissed suggestions that parliamentary super reform had been an easy decision
to make because it would not apply to serving MPs.

"It's just a wrong principle to reduce the entitlements of existing people," he said.

"What we've done when we've reformed superannuation for public servants ... (is)
we've closed that scheme.

"(We) haven't taken away entitlements from the people in it, but introduced a new less
generous, more sustainable scheme for the new entrants."

Under Mr Latham's proposal, the lowering of federal MPs' superannuation rates would
have extended to the judiciary. Mr Howard did not adopt this provision.

Mr Carr said there was a need to tread cautiously when it came to reforming judges' pensions.

"We'll take a careful look at that," he said.

NSW Greens MP Lee Rhiannon welcomed the government's commitment to parliamentary superannuation
reform, but called for the changes to be extended.

She said MPs' electoral allowances, which ranged from $39,000 a year to $69,000, were
open to abuse.

"MPs receive this payment in their monthly pay packet," she said.

"This is public money, but the public has no way of knowing whether it is properly
spent, or whether it just ends up as a de facto pay rise."

AAP smb/sd/cmc/de

KEYWORD: SUPER NSW NIGHTLEAD

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