Parliamentary Allowances Act 1959

Legislation au C1959A00019 Not in force Act

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PARLIAMENTARY ALLOWANCES.

 

No. 19 of 1959.

An Act to amend the Parliamentary Allowances Act 1952-1956.

[Assented to 24th April, 1959.]

BE it enacted by the Queen’s Most Excellent Majesty, the Senate, and the House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Australia, for the purpose of appropriating the grant originated in the House of Representatives, as follows:—

Short title and citation.

1.—(1.) This Act may be cited as the Parliamentary Allowances Act 1959.


(2.) The Parliamentary Allowances Act 1952-1956 is in this Act referred to as the Principal Act.

(3.) The Principal Act, as amended by this Act, may be cited as the Parliamentary Allowances Act 1952-1959.

Commencement.

2. This Act shall be deemed to have come into operation on the first day of March, One thousand nine hundred and fifty-nine.

Allowances to senators.

3. Section four of the Principal Act is amended—

(a) by omitting from sub-section (1.) the words “Two thousand three hundred and fifty” and inserting in their stead the words “Two thousand seven hundred and fifty”; and

(b) by omitting from sub-section (2.) the words “Seven hundred” and inserting in their stead the words “Eight hundred”.

Allowances to members of House of Representatives.

4. Section five of the Principal Act is amended—

(a) by omitting from sub-section (1.) the words “Two thousand three hundred and fifty” and inserting in their stead the words “Two thousand seven hundred and fifty”;

(b) by omitting from paragraph (a) of sub-section (2.) the words “Six hundred” and inserting in their stead the words “Eight hundred and fifty”; and

(c) by omitting from paragraph (b) of sub-section (2.) the words “Eight hundred” and inserting in their stead the words “One thousand and fifty”.

Allowances to President, Speaker and Chairmen of Committees.

5. Section six of the Principal Act is amended—

(a) by omitting from sub-section (1.) the words “One thousand seven hundred and fifty” and inserting in their stead the words “Two thousand two hundred and fifty”;

(b) by omitting from sub-section (2.) the words “Two hundred and fifty” and inserting in their stead the words “Five hundred”; and

(c) by omitting from sub-section (3.) the words “Nine hundred” and inserting in their stead the words “One thousand”.

Allowances to Leaders of Opposition.

6. Section seven of the Principal Act is amended—

(a) by omitting from sub-section (1.) the words “Seven hundred and fifty” (first occurring) and inserting in their stead the words “One thousand five hundred”;


(b) by omitting from sub-section (1.) the words “One thousand seven hundred and fifty” and inserting in their stead the words “Three thousand two hundred and fifty”;

(c) by omitting from sub-section (2.) the words “Two hundred and fifty” and inserting in their stead the words “Five hundred”; and

(d) by omitting from sub-section (2.) the words “One thousand” and inserting in their stead the words “One thousand five hundred”.

Allowances to Deputy Leader of Opposition in Senate.

7. Section seven a of the Principal Act is amended by omitting from sub-section (1.) the words “Three hundred and seventy-five” and inserting in their stead the words “Five hundred”.

Allowances to Deputy Leader of Opposition in House of Representatives.

8. Section eight of the Principal Act is amended—

(a) by omitting from sub-section (1.) the words “Seven hundred and fifty” and inserting in their stead the words “One thousand five hundred”; and

(b) by omitting from sub-section (2.) the words “Two hundred and fifty” and inserting in their stead the words “Five hundred”.

Allowances to leader of third party in House of Representatives.

9. Section nine of the Principal Act is amended—

(a) by omitting the words “Five hundred” and inserting in their stead the words “Seven hundred and fifty”; and

(b) by adding at the end thereof the following sub-section:—

“(2.) There is payable to a member of the House of Representatives who is in receipt of an allowance under the last preceding sub-section an allowance, in respect of the expenses of discharging the duties of his office, at the rate of Two hundred and fifty pounds a year.”.

Allowances to Whips.

10. Section ten of the Principal Act is amended—

(a) by omitting from sub-section (1.) the words “Two hundred and seventy-five” and inserting in their stead the words “Four hundred”;

(b) by omitting from sub-section (2.) the words “Three hundred and twenty-five” and inserting in their stead the words “Five hundred”; and

(c) by omitting from sub-section (3.) the words “Two hundred and seventy-five” and inserting in their stead the words “Four hundred”.

Second Schedule.

11.  The Second Schedule to the Principal Act is amended by omitting the words “Hunter” and “Shortland”.

Overview

The Parliamentary Allowances Act 1959 was enacted to revise and adjust the allowances provided to members of the Australian Parliament, including senators, members of the House of Representatives, and various parliamentary officers. This Act amended the Parliamentary Allowances Act 1952-1956 to reflect updated financial circumstances and ensure that the allowances remained adequate for the roles. Enacted by the Queen’s Most Excellent Majesty, the Senate, and the House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Australia, the primary policy objective was to provide fair compensation to parliamentary members for the expenses incurred in discharging their duties. The amendments involved increasing the monetary values of allowances for various positions to ensure they kept pace with inflation and the cost of living, thereby maintaining the integrity and effectiveness of the parliamentary system.

Scope and Application

The Parliamentary Allowances Act 1959 applies to the members and officials of the Australian Parliament, including senators, members of the House of Representatives, the President, Speaker, and Chairmen of Committees, Leaders of Opposition in both the Senate and the House of Representatives, Deputy Leaders of Opposition, and Whips. The Act serves to amend the Parliamentary Allowances Act 1952-1956, setting out the allowances for various roles within the federal legislative framework. This Act is applicable across the Commonwealth of Australia, thereby affecting all members and officials within the Australian Parliament. The specified amendments primarily pertain to increasing the monetary allowances for various parliamentary positions. There are no stated exclusions, exemptions, or thresholds within the Act itself, though the allowances may be subject to further regulation or modification through subordinate instruments. The Act's amendments to the Principal Act ensure that the allowances are updated to reflect changes in the economic environment and the responsibilities of the roles involved.

Key Provisions

The Parliamentary Allowances Act 1959 amends the Parliamentary Allowances Act 1952-1956 (referred to as the Principal Act) by adjusting the allowances for various parliamentary roles. For instance, Section 3 of the Act increases the allowance for senators from £2,350 to £2,750 (Section 3(a)), and for members of the House of Representatives from £2,350 to £2,750 (Section 4(a)). Furthermore, Section 4(b) and (c) increase the additional allowances for members of the House of Representatives from £600 to £850 for those with a private income under £2,000 and from £800 to £1,050 for those with a private income of £2,000 or more. Other allowances for key positions such as the President, Speaker, Chairmen of Committees, and Leaders of Opposition are also revised upwards (Sections 5, 6, and 7). Under this Act, the revised allowances become effective from 1 March 1959 (Section 2). The amendments mean that all specified roles within the parliamentary system are now entitled to higher annual allowances, reflecting changes in economic conditions or roles' responsibilities. The Act imposes obligations on the relevant authorities to adjust the payments accordingly and ensure that the updated figures are adhered to in all financial dealings related to these allowances. Failure to comply with the provisions of the Act, or fraudulent claims related to the allowances, could lead to legal consequences. While the Act itself does not explicitly detail specific penalties, breaches of such parliamentary regulations can typically lead to legal action under general legislative frameworks governing public office and financial misconduct. This may involve civil or criminal penalties, with the severity depending on the nature and extent of the breach.

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Sourced from the Federal Register of Legislation at 26 August 2026. For the latest information on Australian Government law please go to https://www.legislation.gov.au.