Parliament’s sickie system
Audrey Young reports:
Chris Carter’s voluntary two-month leave from Parliament has highlighted loopholes in the rules on MPs’ absences that could allow an MP to stay off work until the next election on almost full pay.
Speaker Lockwood Smith said yesterday he wants to address the unsatisfactory rules.
An electorate MP could stay away for the rest of the parliamentary term with very little penalty – a maximum of $30 a week in a sitting week – under the Civil List Act 1979.
Dr Smith said yesterday that was inadequate and he wanted it addressed.
“I have a real concern for the integrity of Parliament and it worries me that a member could, in a worst case scenario, decide they are not coming back at all this term,”
Yeah, the penalty for absence without leave should be something alone the lines of 50% of their pay – not less than 1% of their pay.
Mr Carter, who was adamant during his attacks last week on Labour leader Phil Goff, that he wasn’t unwell, is said by friends to be sick and in need of rest. …
Dr Smith said he had received a letter from Mr Carter’s lawyer – friend Claudia Elliot – saying he would be away from Parliament for two months because he was “unwell and unfit to attend work”.
I guess a lawyer’s letter trumps a doctor’s certificate as they earn more money. Who needs to spend six years studying internal medicine etc, when a lawyer can determine not just that you are sick – but even calculate in advance how much leave you will need.
August 5th, 2010 at 9:15 am
Carter is a trougher – but as a National Supporter I am happy to contribute to Carters salary while on sick leave – everyday he is more of an embarressment to the Labour party and a reminder why they need to remain in opposition for at least another 10.5 years.
August 5th, 2010 at 9:16 am
Do other eomployees get lawyers to write their sick notes?
Its time to gets this princesses nose out of the torugh. His sense of entitlement is utterly sickening.
August 5th, 2010 at 9:19 am
What? At 50% you could get two jobs, take absence without leave from both and get full pay.
In the real world absence without leave is at 0%. Why not the same for them?
[DPF: An MPs duties is more than just turning up to Parliament. It includes constituency work.]
August 5th, 2010 at 9:21 am
Apparently this issue arose during Philip Field’s time as an independent MP, but was sept under the carpet and not addressed by the last speaker.
August 5th, 2010 at 9:22 am
Unwell and unfit to attend work? And it originated from being caught on a taxpayer funded spending spree? Nice.
Can bank robbers claim stress too? Labour really sets a good example for everyone don’t they?
August 5th, 2010 at 9:53 am
I have a memory of John Kirk skyving off in the latter part of his term and nothing done about it. In those days a member could only get his full pension if he/she served a full three terms and then LOST the next election. So retirees were obliged to put their name on the ballot paper which the intention of losing – which John Kirk then did. (And then he took of to the US and then gold smuggling, jail, deportation etc.etc.)
August 5th, 2010 at 9:56 am
murray @ 09 16, West Australian employment law allows for a Statuary Declaration in place of Dr’s cert, that could well involve a lawyer ,just to add weight.
DPF why 50% after three days or whatever is standard practice, “no sittee no payee, no careee. Anything to reduce the total trough bill is goodeee!!!
August 5th, 2010 at 9:58 am
Labour has NEVER done anything about any of these troughers. It is only since the Nats that we have had the transparency and reform of the rules. Well done John Key and Lockwood Smith.
Interesting that the Left clung so tightly to their privileges, especially the financial ones. What a shoddy crowd Clark’s cabinet are turning out to be! And she was supposed to be such a great leader.
August 5th, 2010 at 10:35 am
Yes but grave Australia is entirely peopled by criminals as everybody knows!
August 5th, 2010 at 11:06 am
Parliamentary troughers????
Yep, has always been like that. We eventually found out about the platinum super scheme, but the “sick” leave orf non attendance penalty slipped under the radar. None of my past employers (since I am now self employed, if I dont work I dont get paid) would ever agree to an open ended $10 per week “sick” leave deduction. I suppose that is the explanation for Labours attitude to employment law per se.
August 5th, 2010 at 11:12 am
flipper, if I read your comment correctly, you are suggesting that all MPs contribute $10per (day/week/sitting day) towards their unlimited sick leave provision.
I may be wrong but the $10 per sitting day (not more than $30 per week) is a deduction from the normal salary to reflect that it is “sick pay” and is taken only while the MP is on sick leave. Which means that it is Sweet Fanny Adams as a penalty.
August 5th, 2010 at 11:18 am
Carter should remember that he’s a member of parliament not an employee of Radio New Zealand.
August 5th, 2010 at 11:40 am
I agree with Monty, Carter can stick around, he does great harm to Labour that way. Better ineffectual in parliament as a an MP (preferably with Labour not independent) and under public scrutiny than out.
If he resigns the tax payer continues to fund his super & travel etc entitlements AND we will have to take on another Labour Trougher MP in Te Atatu to pay for as well. Financially it’s cheaper to have him remain in Parliament, also he is a good source of humour.
August 5th, 2010 at 11:48 am
David
Mine not clear.
That is their present liability/deduction!
Absolute garbage.
K
August 5th, 2010 at 12:47 pm
Boss? Yeah it’s me here. I won’t be at work for the next two months.
I can still collect my full pay for the whole time though, right?
August 5th, 2010 at 3:55 pm
There should be a maximum period say 15 sitting days after which your forfeit your seat. We had the farce in the last parliament where the Labour Party put Phillip Field on months and months leave (because of some Ministerial inquiry) still pocketed his vote but he was not providing any representation. Exceptions could be sick leave on a medial certificate. The fact is if you are not attending Parliament then your seat is forfeited.