Wrong on Wong

Stuff reports:

Former Cabinet minister Pansy Wong will be entitled to a 90 per cent international travel rebate for the rest of her life if she quits Parliament.

This isn’t quite right. The entitlements were frozen. I actually got it wrong on Twitter yesterday as I assumed they were frozen at the end of 1999, when the perk was abolished  for new MPs, but in fact it is 2008. Here is the Speakers Direction:

6.14 A person who was a member before the 1999 general election has his or her travel entitlements frozen at the level for which he or she qualified at the end of the 2005–2008 term of Parliament.

At the end of the 2008 term of Parliament, Pansy has completed four terms. And 6.15(1)(g) defines what you get:

• Less than 2 terms – 0 %
• 2 full terms and was in the Executive – 50%
• 2 full terms and not in Executive – 0%
• 3 full terms – 60%
• 4 full terms – 75%
• 5 full terms – 90%

What does this mean, then for those who are still MPs and who entered at each election. When they retire it will be:

1. 2008 – 0%
2. 2005 – 0%
3. 2002 – 0%
4. 1999 – 0%
5. 1996 – 75%
6. 1993 or before – 90%

Now who can be first to say how many MPs will get 75% when they retire, and how many will get 90%, and how many 0%?