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Parliament Act 2025

Salaries, allowances, expenses, and services for members and others - Principles applying to determining and using expenses and services

69: Principles applicable to making determinations

You could also call this:

"Rules for making fair decisions about politicians' pay and services"

Illustration for Parliament Act 2025

When the Remuneration Authority, the Speaker, and the Minister Responsible for Ministerial Services make decisions about salaries, allowances, and services, they must consider certain principles. You need to know that these decisions must be consistent with the rules about what expenses and services can be paid for or provided. The decisions must also maintain confidence in Parliament, be transparent, and be fair to the taxpayer, as outlined in sections like section 63(3). The decisions must promote transparency and maintain the independence of the Remuneration Authority. You should look at sections like section 72, 85, 87, or 94 to understand this better. The principles also consider the needs of disabled members and aim to make the delivery of funding and services efficient and simple to administer. The decisions must be fair and recognise the need for public understanding of the work of members and their parties. They must also facilitate the efficient delivery of funding and services, and make it clear who is eligible to receive them.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=LMS804047.

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Part 4Salaries, allowances, expenses, and services for members and others
Principles applying to determining and using expenses and services

69Principles applicable to making determinations

  1. The Remuneration Authority, the Speaker, and the Minister Responsible for Ministerial Services must have regard to this section in making a determination under section 72, 85, 87, or 94.

  2. Authorised funding and services to be paid for, or provided to, members, Ministers, and eligible candidates must be determined in a way that—

    Principles relating to Parliament

  3. is consistent with those expenses and services that are specified in section 63(3) being paid or provided only to the extent that they are for 1 or more of the purposes specified in section 63(1)(b); and
    1. maintains confidence in the integrity of Parliament; and
      1. recognises the need for public understanding of the work of those persons and their parties and the services they require to enable them to perform their roles and functions; and

          1. Principles relating to transparency, independence, and fairness

        1. promotes transparency in relation to the allocation and use of authorised funding and services necessary for members, Ministers, and parties to perform their respective roles and functions; and
          1. maintains the independence of the Remuneration Authority; and
            1. recognises the need to be fair to the taxpayer; and
              1. has regard to the particular requirements of disabled members; and

                  1. Administrative principles

                1. facilitates the efficient and effective delivery of authorised funding and services; and
                  1. makes clear whether a person or party is eligible to be paid or provided with authorised funding and services; and
                    1. is simple to administer.

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