Balance NZ believes that public confidence in Parliament depends on the integrity, transparency, and accountability of those elected to serve.
Members of Parliament perform an essential role in New Zealand's democracy and should be fairly remunerated for their work. However, parliamentary entitlements must be reasonable, proportionate, and focused solely on enabling Members to carry out their official duties.
New Zealanders rightly expect that taxpayer money will be managed with the same care and responsibility expected throughout the public sector. Parliamentary benefits should never exceed what is necessary to perform the role, nor should elected representatives receive privileges that are unavailable to the people they represent.
Balance NZ's Parliamentary Entitlements Policy restores fairness by aligning parliamentary entitlements with community expectations, improving transparency, and ensuring that every dollar of public money is spent responsibly.
This policy is founded on a simple principle: those elected to serve New Zealand should be accountable to the same standards of responsibility, integrity, and fiscal discipline expected of every New Zealander.
Balance NZ believes that Members of Parliament are elected to serve New Zealanders, not to receive benefits beyond those reasonably required to perform their duties.
Parliamentary entitlements should reflect the principles of fairness, transparency, accountability, and responsible stewardship of taxpayer money.
The objectives of this policy are to:
• Ensure parliamentary entitlements cover only the genuine costs of carrying out public duties.
• Align parliamentary benefits more closely with those available to ordinary New Zealand workers.
• Increase transparency and public confidence in parliamentary expenditure.
• Reduce unnecessary government spending while maintaining the effective operation of Parliament.
• Reinforce the principle that elected representatives are public servants, not public beneficiaries.
Balance NZ will reform parliamentary superannuation arrangements to ensure they reflect the same standards expected of other New Zealand employees.
2.1 KiwiSaver Contributions
The Government will:
• Cap the taxpayer-funded employer KiwiSaver contribution for Members of Parliament at 3 percent of salary.
• Remove enhanced employer contribution rates that exceed those generally available to New Zealand workers.
This ensures MPs receive the same level of employer retirement contributions as the people they represent.
Balance NZ believes accommodation support should reimburse genuine work-related costs rather than subsidise property ownership.
3.1 Rental Reimbursement System
Members whose primary residence is outside the Wellington region will be eligible to claim reimbursement only for verified rental accommodation required for parliamentary duties.
Members will be required to:
• Provide a current tenancy agreement.
• Submit evidence of rental payments.
• Complete annual eligibility declarations.
Members who own the Wellington property in which they reside will not be eligible for accommodation reimbursement.
Annual reimbursement caps will apply according to parliamentary responsibilities.
Balance NZ supports reasonable travel assistance that enables Members of Parliament to maintain family connections while carrying out their parliamentary responsibilities.
The Government will:
• Reduce partner travel entitlements to a maximum of six return trips per year.
• Limit dependent children's travel to six return trips per year per child.
• Cap the Prime Minister's partner travel entitlement.
• Restrict the use of parliamentary vehicles by partners to approved official engagements only.
Travel entitlements must remain proportionate to the requirements of public service.
Balance NZ believes expense allowances should reimburse legitimate work-related costs rather than provide additional untaxed income.
The Government will:
• Replace the current tiered allowance with a single annual allowance for all Members of Parliament.
• Treat the allowance as taxable income.
• Require receipts for significant expenditure.
• Strengthen auditing and verification procedures.
This will improve fairness and accountability while reducing unnecessary expenditure.
Balance NZ recognises that Members of Parliament may face genuine security risks arising from public office.
The Government will retain home security assistance while improving accountability.
6.1 Direct Payment System
Home security assistance will:
• Be paid directly to approved installation providers.
• Not be available as cash reimbursements.
• Apply only to a member's primary residence.
• Be limited to one approved installation per parliamentary term.
This ensures public funds are used solely for their intended purpose.
Balance NZ supports providing reasonable transitional assistance to departing Members of Parliament while ensuring payments remain consistent with broader employment standards.
The Government will:
• Reduce parliamentary resettlement payments to six weeks' salary.
• Require Members to have completed at least one full parliamentary term before becoming eligible.
• Remove eligibility where a Member voluntarily resigns without reasonable cause.
This aligns parliamentary transition support more closely with standard employment practices.
Balance NZ believes former Prime Ministers deserve recognition for their service while ensuring ongoing taxpayer support remains reasonable.
The Government will:
• Reduce the maximum annual annuity available to former Prime Ministers.
• Introduce an income-based means test.
• Limit official vehicle and travel entitlements to five years after leaving office.
• Remove chauffeur-driven vehicle entitlements while retaining limited support where appropriate.
These reforms recognise public service while ensuring fairness for taxpayers.
Balance NZ believes every dollar spent by Parliament should be open to public scrutiny.
The Government will establish stronger independent oversight of parliamentary expenditure.
9.1 Public Reporting
The Government will:
• Require the publication of significant parliamentary expense claims.
• Establish a publicly accessible online expenses register.
• Remove unnecessary exemptions from public information requirements where appropriate.
9.2 Independent Parliamentary Expenses Commissioner
Balance NZ will establish an Independent Parliamentary Expenses Commissioner responsible for:
• Auditing parliamentary expenditure.
• Publishing regular reports.
• Investigating complaints regarding expense claims.
• Requiring repayment where expenditure has been improperly claimed.
Independent oversight will strengthen confidence in Parliament and improve financial accountability.
This policy will:
• Reduce unnecessary parliamentary expenditure.
• Improve transparency and public accountability.
• Align parliamentary entitlements with community expectations.
• Strengthen public confidence in elected representatives.
• Ensure taxpayer funds are used responsibly.
• Reinforce the principle of public service over personal privilege.
Balance NZ believes public office is a position of trust and responsibility. Members of Parliament should receive fair remuneration and the resources necessary to perform their duties effectively, but they should not receive privileges that place them beyond the standards expected of the New Zealanders they represent.
By restoring fairness, transparency, and accountability to parliamentary entitlements, New Zealand can strengthen public confidence in its democratic institutions while ensuring taxpayer money is managed responsibly and with integrity.
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