Newman's pension for life
Dear Department of the Treasury,
Would you please disclose the full amount of the yearly pension for life Campbell Newman will now receive after one term?
Please confirm what are the requirements for politicians to receive this pension and how many terms in office/in the senate/or the like they must complete to receive it.
Yours faithfully,
Julie Bingo
Julie Bingo left an annotation ()
@Ben Fairless:
This enquiry is regarding federal both federal and state politicians. If the Treasury do not have this information for state politicians, they can answer the query for federal politicans.
Alex Sadleir left an annotation ()
I'd also add that the Treasury does not deal with Federal Politicians pensions, but rather Finance. This FOI request is rather popular one to make https://www.righttoknow.org.au/request/r... but the answers might be on Google too:
Federal superannuation rules and long term financial impact analysis:
http://www.finance.gov.au/superannuation...
And Mr. Newman will receive no lifetime pension the same as any other Queensland politician elected after 2006: http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queen...
Julie Bingo left an annotation ()
@Alex Sadleir:
My google search found nothing except another Request to Know that was not adequately answered.
Are you from this Department? I hope your annotations won't stop me from getting an adequate reply.
Maybe you can help me by telling me the Department that can give me the pension amounts?
Ben Fairless left an annotation ()
Alex helped build Right to Know: https://www.righttoknow.org.au/help/cred...
For the first part of your request, it's clear from news reports and the handbook that he will receive a total of 12 weeks pay (resettlement I think it's called). The 2nd part of your request I would think depends on a range of factors, hopefully the department answers you informally, but you can only request documents formally under the FOI Act.
Dear Ms Bingo
We note that you have submitted your question to the FOI inbox but the FOI Act only covers access to documents, not information.
If you are seeking documents, would you please specify which documents you are seeking and send a new email: to [Treasury request email]. Please also state that you are making a request under the FOI Act. This ensures that you comply with the formal requirements in s 15(2)(aa) of the FOI Act and allows us to distinguish you request from a ministerial correspondence.
If you are only seeking information, please email your question to: [email address].
Regards
FOI Team
Parliamentary and Legal Services Unit
Ministerial and Communications Division
The Treasury, Langton Crescent, Parkes ACT 2600
phone: (02) 6263 2800
email: [email address]
Julie Bingo left an annotation ()
@Ben Fairless
Yes hopefully they reply but the point seems to be I shouldn't hold my breath.
I don't know what documents to request, I'm just a citizen who isn't familiar with such documents.
Dear FOI,
I would like documents that specify pension amounts given to politicians including the former Queensland Premier and Prime Minister.
I am only an ordinary citizen and I don't know the name of such documents. Can you tell me the names of the relevant documents?
I am making a request under the FOI Act, complying with the formal requirements in s 15(2)(aa) of the FOI Act.
Yours sincerely,
Julie Bingo
Phillip Sweeney left an annotation ()
Pensions for Politicians
I recently lodged an FOI request with The Treasury in relation to pensions paid to the widows of former Federal MPs and Senators.
The Treasury advised that the average pension for a widow is $80,000 per annum which is a lot more than the old age pension.
Our politicians know how to look after themselves!
Regards
Phillip Sweeney
Vera Lystich left an annotation ()
Julie,
You would be best to contact the Treasury outside of the FOI Act to get the information you require.
Freedom of Information requests can take up to 30 days to process, and can be subject to a charge. You are likely to get a quicker response by using the contact details on the Department's website.
Phillip Sweeney left an annotation ()
Campbell Newman could be well and truly out of luck.
It seems that you need to be a member of the Queensland parliament for at least 8 years to qualify for a life pensions. Mr Newman only completed 3 years
http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queen...
This is a State superannuation system so the Commonwealth FOI Act does not apply.
Regards
Phillip Sweeney
Dear Ms Bingo
I refer to your request received by the Treasury on 2 February 2015 in which you sought access to documents under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (the Act), specifically:
“documents that specify pension amounts given to politicians including the former Queensland Premier and Prime Minister.”
I am writing to inform you that I have transferred your request in full to the Department of Finance. The department has agreed to accept the transfer.
I have transferred your request to that department following discussions with them on 10 February 2015 as the matter relates more closely to the functions of that department than to those of Treasury.
As you may be aware the transferred request in relation to the specific documents sought is, under subsection 16(5) of the Act, taken to be a request made to the Department of Finance for access to those documents, on the date Treasury received it, namely 2 February 2015 . The FOI Coordinator at the Department of Finance will contact you in relation to this request.
Regards
FOI Team
Parliamentary and Legal Services Unit
Ministerial and Communications Division
The Treasury, Langton Crescent, Parkes ACT 2600
phone: (02) 6263 2800
email: [email address]
UNCLASSIFIED
Good morning Ms Bingo
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).
documents that specify pension amounts given to politicians including the
former Queensland Premier and Prime Minister
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.
State and Territory parliamentarians
Enquiries regarding the superannuation arrangements for State or Territory
parliamentarians should be directed to the relevant State or Territory.
Information publicly available
Due to privacy considerations, the Department does not provide specific
information on superannuation benefits of current or former members of
Parliament.
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.
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. Parliamentarians are
also required to make contributions towards the cost of their PCSS pension
during their parliamentary service.
The PCSS pension payable to a retired parliamentarian reflects their
period of service in the parliament and any periods of service as a
Minister or office holder. 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...
The above website also includes the PCSS Long Term Cost Report, which
provides information on the costs and membership of the PCSS.
Way Forward
We trust that the above information adequately addresses the information
you are seeking. Unless you advise otherwise, we consider your FOI
request to be withdrawn.
Regards,
Chak
[2]Signature blocks-blue bar.jpg
FOI Officer
Corporate Services Division | Legal Services Branch
Department of Finance
T: 02 6215 1783 | E: [3][email address]
UNCLASSIFIED
References
Visible links
1. http://www.finance.gov.au/superannuation...
3. mailto:[email address]
Ben Fairless left an annotation ()
Hi Julie,
I'm not sure that the Department of the Treasury will be able to help you out here, as they generally deal with Federal matters and not State retirement benefits. You could try getting in touch with the Remuneration Tribunal in QLD for the information - http://www.remunerationtribunal.qld.gov.au