Not all expenses are perks!!

An article in the NZ Herald on whether MPs expenses should be more public.  I tend to favour more transparency in this area.

But the area I want to take issue on is this:

OUR MPS’ PERKS

* Up to $24,000 accommodation allowance for MPs who live outside Wellington.

* Rebates on private international travel – ranging from 25 per cent for second-term MPs to 90 per cent for fourth-termers.

* $400 to have security system installed in home, and $600 a year for monitoring.

* Domestic air flights for both MPs and their spouses/ partners, as well as related taxi and accommodation costs.

* Children over the age of 5 get four return trips to Wellington each year. No limit on free trips for those under 5.

The first one listed is not a perk.  It is a necessary expense. If your job requires you to stay overnight away from home, they pay for your accommodation. Every employer I have had, does that.

The international travel subsidy is a fair call as a perk. Not 100% perk as it will be used somewhat for work purposes, but also definitely some private benefit.

Calling a home alarm system a perk, is pushing it.  A bit of a grey area, but it is hardly something MPs get enjoyment out of, and is sadly necessary as part of the job.  However as many may already have home alarm systems, there is some private benefit as they can save money from it.

Domestic airfares for MPs is around 95% work expense, not perk. MPs do not fly around the country for fun. They do it because they have to as part of their jobs. There can be some personal benefit but it is relatively small.

The travel for spouses and children is a bit of a grey area. Again you don’t tend to see MPs using this to fly the spouse and kids to a beach resort. It is mainly used so that MPs actually keep their families together. Spending over 150 days a year away from your home is not a great lifestyle for a family.