The Salaries and Allowances Tribunal has issued a Report following a review of allowances that are provided to Members of the Parliament of Western Australia.
The review initially focused on the effectiveness of allowances, but its scope expanded following consultation between the Tribunal and the Corruption and Crime Commission, which was examining potential misconduct and corruption relating to use of allowances.
The Tribunal notes that Parliamentary allowances provide Members with resources needed to perform their role, but change is needed to ensure allowances more effectively achieve their purpose and to establish accountability measures.
The Report considered the scope of the Tribunal’s current powers to adjust the provision of allowances and has proposed a number of changes, including introducing:
- principles by which Members must abide when using allowances; and
- a system of reporting for Members’ use of certain allowances.
These changes are intended to apply to the new Parliament, following the State Election in March 2021.
The Report also notes approaches used in other Australian jurisdictions that have more extensive powers than Western Australia to implement and enforce accountability measures.