National: proposal ‘cash grab’

WELLINGTON: A proposed $13 million increase in parliamentary support, including 31 new staff for government ministers and equal funding for list and electorate MPs, has been described as a ‘‘cash grab’’.

The appropriation review committee report, which comes out every three years and was released this week, went beyond the usual brief of considering resources for MPs, National shadow leader of the House Gerry Brownlee said.

‘‘With a proposed $13 million annual increase in parliamentary support funding for MPs, including 31 extra staff for ministers, equal funding for list and electorate MPs, big increases in funding for Maori seats and a lockedin increase of 3.7% per year for staffing, and 3.3% for other costs, this is a massive dip into taxpayer funds, with the greatest advantage going to coalition partners Labour, the Greens and New Zealand First,’’ Mr Brownlee said.

It was ‘‘nothing more than an attempt at a massive cash grab by current Government parties’’.

The proposed funding increase for list MPs to be the same as that for electorate MPs was a major benefit to Labour, NZ First and the Greens, which were predominantly made up of list MPs, Mr Brownlee said.

The report was carried out by former MPs Dame Annette King and Eric Roy and former Treasury official Bill Moran. — NZME