Political pensions

Chris Butler made this Freedom of Information request to Department of the Treasury

This request has been closed to new correspondence from the public body. Contact us if you think it ought be re-opened.

The request was successful.

Chris Butler

Dear Department of the Treasury,

Dear Sir/madam

I wish know the gross amount & entire cost of cost's to the
Australian tax payer of all retired politicians pensions per Per/Annum

Yours faithfully,

Chris Butler

FOI Requests,

1 Attachment

UNCLASSIFIED

Good morning Mr Butler,

 

Thank you for your email to the Department of the Treasury (Treasury)
requesting access to the following under the Freedom of Information Act
1982 (FOI Act).

 

...the gross amount & entire cost of cost’s to the Australian tax payer of
all retired politicians pensions per annum

In accordance with section 16 of the FOI Act, your request was transferred
to the Department of Finance (Finance) as the subject-matter relates more
closely to the functions of this Department. 

 

Information publicly available

The superannuation arrangements provided to parliamentarians who entered
Parliament after 9 October 2004 are similar to many that apply throughout
the community. The arrangements provide for the payment of an employer
superannuation contribution during a parliamentarian’s term of office. The
superannuation benefit is payable as a lump sum consisting of accumulated
contributions and earnings.

 

The post-2004 arrangements cost $4.5 million during 2012-13. This figure
was included in the 2012-13 annual report for the then Department of
Finance and Deregulation.

 

Parliamentarians who entered the Parliament before 9 October 2004 are
members of the Parliamentary Contributory Superannuation Scheme (PCSS).
This scheme provides pensions to retired parliamentarians who have
sufficient parliamentary service which, as a minimum, would require a
parliamentarian to serve three terms in Parliament.

 

Further information on the design of the PCSS can be found in the
Parliamentary Handbook, which is available at:

[1]http://www.finance.gov.au/superannuation...

 

PCSS benefits of $35.7 million were paid during 2012-13. This figure was
included in the 2012-13 annual report for the then Department of Finance
and Deregulation.

 

We trust that the above information adequately addresses the information
you are seeking. 

 

As we have provided the above, publicly available, information outside of
the FOI Act, we consider your FOI request to be withdrawn.

 

Regards,

[2]Department of Finance and Deregulation

FOI Officer

Legal Services Branch

Finance, People and Communications Division

Department of Finance

T: 02 6215 1783 E: [email address]

 

UNCLASSIFIED

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References

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1. http://www.finance.gov.au/superannuation...