Politicians Face Pay Cuts Amid New Conduct Rules

Published on April 3, 2024

A new body charged with investigating allegations of misconduct by politicians, and with the power to dock them up to 5 percent of their pay or suspend them, has been proposed according to a leaked draft of a new bill. Three years after an independent inquiry characterised parliament’s workplace culture as “revolting and humiliating” in the wake of former staffer Brittany Higgins’ allegation she had been raped in a minister’s office, the government has moved to action one of its major recommendations—to establish an Independent Parliamentary Standards Commission. The Commission would not be subject to influence by politicians. It would consist of six part-time commissioners with the power to investigate complaints against parliamentarians, staff, or other parliamentary workers such as the press gallery and lobbyists....

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