'Are you angry? I certainly am': Pauline Hanson calls for Julie Bishop and Christopher Pyne's whopping $200,000-a-year pension to be scrapped - and claims the pair only quit politics to maximise their payouts
- Pauline Hanson has renewed calls for parliamentary pensions to be scrapped
- Outraged over retiring MP Julie Bishop's $210,000 plus a year pension she'll get
- Departing minister Christopher Pyne to receive a similar parliamentary pension
- Ms Hanson believes money from parliamentary pensions can be better spent
Pauline Hanson has renewed calls for whopping lifelong parliamentary pensions of retiring federal politicians to be scrapped, describing the lucrative pay outs as a waste of taxpayers' money.
The One Nation leader expressed her outrage on social media at former foreign minister Julie Bishop's retirement benefit, which will see her pocket more than $200,000 a year when she leaves federal Parliament at the next election in May.
She also attacked Defence Minister Christopher Pyne, who will also receive a similar annual pension after he announced on Saturday he's quitting politics after 26 years.
Politicians elected before 2004 are entitled to a generous, lifelong parliamentary pension, which after the election will see a former minister still in his forties entitled to thousands of dollars a year from the public purse.
An angry Pauline Hanson (pictured) posted a Facebook video to express her anger over parliamentary pensions Julie Bishop and Christopher Pyne will receive
Former ministers will be receiving more than double Australia's average full-time salary without even having to wait until the retirement age of 65 even though they could also be raking in cash as corporate directors.
Senator Hanson said the money would be better invested in coal mining, an industry that provides the livelihood for one in four households in the central Queensland city of Rockhampton.
'They're doing it tough and what makes me angry is that Julie Bishop, who is going to retire from parliament now after 19 years, is going to retire on over a $200,000 a year parliamentary pension,' Ms Hanson fumed in the Facebook video.
'Are you angry? Because I certainly am.'
Ms Bishop, who was also the Liberal Party's deputy leader from 2007 to 2018, is set to receive at least $210,000 a year from her time served as cabinet and junior minister, based on a Department of Finance handbook for members of parliament elected before 2004.
That is 10 times the aged pension for a single person.
'This is something I've been fighting against the last 22 years when I was first in parliament about parliamentary pensions and former prime ministers getting this payout from the people, the taxpayers that we can least afford,' Senator Hanson said.
Senator Hanson's Facebook video has since attracted 57,000 views and garnered more than 1,000 comments.
Former deputy Liberal leader Julie Bishop (pictured) will receive a parliamentary pension of at least $200,000 a year after she recently announced she'll retire at the next federal election
'All politicians should put there super away just like all works and live on that just like all workers, no more retirement funds for the politicians they are employees just like us, difference is, we are their employers, get it, what don't they understand when we say, enough is enough,' one woman commented.
One man added: 'Truly how do they justify this? What sort of income would a member of the general public need to achieve the same?'
The debate over parliamentary pensions continued on Monday when Ms Hanson went as far as calling MPs who are retiring now to get a bigger payout than they would if they served the next term in Opposition as 'parasites'.
Departing minister Christopher Pyne is also in line for a hefty lifelong retirement pension
For politicians elected before 2004, pensions are calculated on their average wage over the past three years.
Federal MPs elected before October 2004 are entitled to up to 50 per cent of a backbencher's salary for eight years of service.
Those who become ministers get a 6.25 per cent loading for each year of service.
The system was scrapped in 2004 after then Prime Minister John Howard caved in to pressure from Labor Opposition Leader Mark Latham, who nonetheless accepted a lifetime parliamentary pension when he quit politics in 2005.
Steven Ciobo last week quit as defence industry minister and will be entitled to a life-long pension, even though he will be only 45 when he retires from Parliament.
For his three years as a minister, he will be entitled to a parliamentary pension of $67,000 as a bare minimum.
Senator Hanson accused Ms Bishop of quitting before the next election to help her qualify for a more generous parliamentary pension.
'She's getting out now because [if] they end up in Opposition, it goes on the previous three years wages – which she'll lose about $70,000 a year,' she told Channel Seven's Sunrise.
Ms Bishop could potentially earn more money if she is, as is widely expected, offered a corporate board position at a bank or a major listed company.
Senator Hanson had this message for her parliamentary colleagues, who are on base salaries of $207,000 a year.
'We've got two days left in parliament. Move the bill to freeze this payout of the previous superannuation that Julie Bishop, Christopher Pyne and eight Labor MPs who are resigning from Parliament are entitled to,' she said.
'It is disgusting and does not pass the pub test.'
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