Trust in our politicians is declining, and risks diminishing further with allegations of misuse of public funds. This investigation argues that the reputation of the Victorian Parliament would be greatly enhanced if an independent agency was clearly empowered to deal with such matters.

The Committee to consider an independent parliamentary entitlements system was established by the then Prime Minister, the Hon Tony Abbott MP, on 2 August 2015. The review announcement noted the rules governing the system lacked clarity and transparency and acknowledged that some parliamentary travel had been ‘inside entitlement but outside community expectations’. A simple, effective...

Government frontbencher Christopher Pyne claims a VIP Boeing business jet flight from Perth to Canberra taken by a group of WA Liberal MPs was probably cheaper than a commercial flight

Peter Andren, the independent federal member for Calare, attacks the excesses of parliamentary 'entitlements' employed in the pursuit of re-election. 'We have a system,' he writes, 'that delivers all representatives incredible privileges and power through incumbency.'

Excessive parliamentary entitlements and unregulated private funding give enormous advantages to the major parties, argues Joo-Cheong Tham.