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Warmington hits out at GG, PM pension benefits
Published: Thursday | January 26, 2012 Comments 0
Warmington
Daraine Luton, Senior Staff Reporter
CONTROVERSIAL LEGISLATOR Everald Warmington wants to see an end to the public paying for accommodation, chauffeurs, gardeners, helpers and secretaries for retired prime ministers and governors general.
"Those types of fringe benefits and allowances, those nonsense, are to cut out," Warmington told The Gleaner yesterday as he sought to justify a motion he moved in the House of Representatives on Tuesday.
The South West St Catherine member of parliament has called for the laws governing the payment of pensions and other benefits to former prime ministers and governors general to be brought in line with that paid to members of parliament.
"I am not asking for those things for members of parliament because those things are ridiculous. It should not be at all," Warmington said in respect of allowances paid to the aides of the former leaders from the public purse.
"Those things are to stop because if an ex-prime minister or former governor general is getting that type of salary as pensions, they should be able to pay those bills. The taxpayers should not be called upon to foot those types of bills," Warmington added.
Prime ministers who assumed office after September 2007 are entitled to a pension which is three-quarters of the amount of annual salary earned as prime minister.
Widows, widowers entitled
Those who assumed office before 2007 are entitled to a pension that is 100 per cent of the last salary earned as prime minister. In the event the person has died, his or her spouse is entitled to the pension and other allowances.
In the case of governors general, the annual pension payable mirrors the annual salary earned.
On the other hand, former MPs are paid a pension at an annual rate equivalent to two-thirds of the highest annual rate of salary payable to that person at any time as a legislator.
Warmington said the arrangement is unfair.
"You can't have people perform or serve the country, some serve as prime minister, some as members of parliament, and governor general and you have a difference in the rate of pensions provided for each person," he argued.
"It is either that you bring up the parliamentarians to that level or you bring the governor general and prime minister down to the level that legislators get as pensions."
It is the second time Warmington has brought such a private members motion to Parliament. He did so in the last Parliament but it fell off the Order Paper when Parliament was dissolved ahead of last month's general election.
Allowances payable to former prime ministers and governors general
- House allowance
- Secretarial allowance
- Chauffeur's allowance
- Personal security (prime minister only)
- Household helper's allowance
- Gardener's allowance daraine.luton@gleanerjm.com
</DIV>
Published: Thursday | January 26, 2012 Comments 0
Warmington
Daraine Luton, Senior Staff Reporter
CONTROVERSIAL LEGISLATOR Everald Warmington wants to see an end to the public paying for accommodation, chauffeurs, gardeners, helpers and secretaries for retired prime ministers and governors general.
"Those types of fringe benefits and allowances, those nonsense, are to cut out," Warmington told The Gleaner yesterday as he sought to justify a motion he moved in the House of Representatives on Tuesday.
The South West St Catherine member of parliament has called for the laws governing the payment of pensions and other benefits to former prime ministers and governors general to be brought in line with that paid to members of parliament.
"I am not asking for those things for members of parliament because those things are ridiculous. It should not be at all," Warmington said in respect of allowances paid to the aides of the former leaders from the public purse.
"Those things are to stop because if an ex-prime minister or former governor general is getting that type of salary as pensions, they should be able to pay those bills. The taxpayers should not be called upon to foot those types of bills," Warmington added.
Prime ministers who assumed office after September 2007 are entitled to a pension which is three-quarters of the amount of annual salary earned as prime minister.
Widows, widowers entitled
Those who assumed office before 2007 are entitled to a pension that is 100 per cent of the last salary earned as prime minister. In the event the person has died, his or her spouse is entitled to the pension and other allowances.
In the case of governors general, the annual pension payable mirrors the annual salary earned.
On the other hand, former MPs are paid a pension at an annual rate equivalent to two-thirds of the highest annual rate of salary payable to that person at any time as a legislator.
Warmington said the arrangement is unfair.
"You can't have people perform or serve the country, some serve as prime minister, some as members of parliament, and governor general and you have a difference in the rate of pensions provided for each person," he argued.
"It is either that you bring up the parliamentarians to that level or you bring the governor general and prime minister down to the level that legislators get as pensions."
It is the second time Warmington has brought such a private members motion to Parliament. He did so in the last Parliament but it fell off the Order Paper when Parliament was dissolved ahead of last month's general election.
Allowances payable to former prime ministers and governors general
- House allowance
- Secretarial allowance
- Chauffeur's allowance
- Personal security (prime minister only)
- Household helper's allowance
- Gardener's allowance daraine.luton@gleanerjm.com
</DIV>
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