Paul Robertson, Minister of Development (left), Minister of Water and Housing, Donald Buchanan (right) and Edmund Bartlett, the Jamaica Labour Party's Spokesman on Tourism, at Gordon House earlier this week. - Rudolph Brown/Staff Photographer This the conclusion of the report by the Oliver Clarke-chaired Parliamentary Salaries Review Committee that was tabled in the House of Representatives on Tuesday, November 11, 2003. The first appeared in yesterday's Gleaner.
RECOMMENDATION 6
AT THIS time this committee does not recommend an increase in the base pay of MPs. The committee, however, recommends that in 2004, annual adjustments should be made, on April 1 of each year, to coincide with the start of the financial year, to the MPs' pay of an amount equal to half the inflation rate of this country, subject to a cap of the average inflation rate of our major trading partners: the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Germany and Japan. The inflation rates could be those relating to the calendar year previously completed.
Elsewhere, the committee makes recommendations for the payment of accountability and transparency payments, a realignment of the relationship between the ministers' and the MPs pay as well as adjustments to parliamentary allowances and constituency allowances below.
This recommendation is made with the full realisation that parliamentary pay is not at the top of either the private or the public sectors.
This committee does not feel that parliamentarians are overpaid. The PSC, on receiving the recommended evaluation report on parliamentary pay, may wish to try and reassess and position the job as it is not an easy task to compare the work and responsibility of a parliamentarian. The government will need to compare future increases payable to local government officers with the compensation levels recommended in this report as these pay scales are still linked to the salary of public officers.
RECOMMENDATION 7
The committee recommends that each MP be required to table in Parliament two annual reports, within the first three months of the calendar year. The first report the parliamentarian accountability report would provide an account of the MPs' stewardship for the previous financial year and plans for the constituency for the next year. The report should deal with the MPs' performance at the constituency and parliamentary level and account for all state funds spent at the discretion of the MP (such as SESP and the Local Development Fund), in relation to the previous calendar year and for the usage made of the constituency office, and the expenditure of the recommended annual constituency expenses of $500,000. Ministers should account for their Ministry's performance as well as covering their performance as an MP.
It is suggested that a standard format for the ministerial report be developed by Parliament and that this be laid in the House as part of the sectoral debates.
Senators should table a comparable report of their performance in the Senate.
The second report The Parliamentarian Transparency Report should declare the source and amount of all personal finance of MPs in accordance with Recommendation 16.
We are not recommending that this report be obligatory at this time for Senators. However, it should be considered in the future.
The exact format of these reports should be debated on and agreed in Parliament.
Parliament should decide on sanctions that would be applicable if the reports are not filed. The PSC (Recommendation 3) should be the entity to monitor the submission of both these reports. It is important to ensure that the purpose of these reports rather than the form remains the focus of the parliamentarian.
RECOMMENDATION 8
The committee recommends the payment of accountability and transparency payments to MPs and Senators. A part of the MPs/ Senators' pay should ideally be based on performance and transparency. It is extremely difficult to find objective ways to assess these activities.
For the period April 1, 2003 to March 31, 2004 and thereafter annually until otherwise determined by the PSC, we recommend that two taxable payments be made
Payment 1 The Accountability Payments A one-off payment made annually equivalent to three per cent of taxable pay (basic salary plus position premium) to be made when the Accountability Report (as detailed in Recommendation 7) is tabled in Parliament.
For an MP, using the current salary, this would be $66,200 per annum
Payment 2 the transparency payments A payment equivalent to three per cent of taxable pay to be made when the MP publicly declares all income except for parliamentary pay and allowances.
For an MP this would be $66,200 per annum using the current salary.
These payments would be made in the first quarter of financial year 2004/2005 and be paid annually until changed by the PSC. They would not qualify as part of pensionable salary. Payments to Senators should be based on the honorarium earned during the previous financial year.
The committee further recommends that the PSC, in the future, consider making the majority of all further increases to emoluments through these, or other performance, accountability and transparency related, payments.
RECOMMENDATION 9
The positions of Leader of Business (both Government and Opposition) in the House of Representatives and the Senate should each be paid a taxable allowance of $250,000 per annum. Additionally chairmen of committees should be paid an honorarium of $5,000 per meeting attended. These positions carry additional and important responsibilities and the holders should be paid additional remuneration. This allowance should be regularly reviewed by the PSC. Currently, only the Leader of Business in the Lower House is paid an allowance of $800 per annum.
