TABLE OF CONTENTS

25th Report of the Senate Select Committee on Superannuation
THE PARLIAMENTARY CONTRIBUTORY SUPERANNUATION SCHEME & THE JUDGES' PENSION SCHEME

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Members of the Committee

Overview

Background to the inquiry

    The origins
    The reference
    Conduct of the Inquiry
    Issues raised by the Law Reform Commission
    At the outset

Part A

Chapter 1: - The Parliamentary Contributory Superannuation Scheme

    Establishment and purpose of the Scheme
    The history
    Core features of the scheme
    Special features
    Membership and costs of the PCSS
    Disqualification from entitlements
    Administrative costs
    The trustee structure
    Other parliamentary schemes

Chapter 2: - Appropriateness

    Public perceptions of parliamentary superannuation
    Is the scheme trying to do much?
    The tenure of Australian Parliamentarians
    The age of parliamentarians
    The relative benefits to long and short term members
    Superannuation, parliamentarians and the wider community
    The nature of parliamentary life
    Early pensions
    Flexibility, portability and choice
    To be or not be funded
    Conclusion

Chapter 3: - Reforming the Scheme

    The case for reform
    Remuneration and representative government
    Superannuation as part of parliamentary remuneration
    Is an accumulation scheme appropriate?
    Disadvantages associated with accumulation schemes
    Preservation to age 55
    Actuarially reduced pensions
    Conclusions and recommendations

Chapter 4: - Consequential Reform

    Dislocation benefits
    Future determination of parliamentary remuneration

Part B: - The Judges' Pension Scheme

Background

Chapter 1: - Independence of the Judiciary

    Judicial independence: what it is and why it matters
    Mechanisms to support judicial independence
    A more mobile judiciary?
    Restraints on judges' financial affairs before and after retirement
    The National Commission of Audit's contribution to the debate
    Conclusion

Chapter 2: - Recruitment to the Judiciary

    Who do we want as judges?
    The judicial pension scheme as a recruitment tool
    The effects on judicial recruitment of general changes to superannuation
    Future changes to the judiciary?

Chapter 3: - The Judges' Pension Scheme Outlined

    Authority for the scheme
    Some history of Australia's scheme
    Features of the scheme
    Funding, costs and employer support
    A changing judiciary
    Golden handcuffs?
    Comparison with other schemes
    The Canadian scheme
    In the UK
    Lessons from the history

Chapter 4: - Appropriateness of the Scheme

    Vesting
    Death and dependants
    Recommendation 4.1
    Commutation and Choice
    Resolving equity between judges

Chapter 5: - Conclusions and Recommendations

Dissenting Report: - Senator Lyn Allison

Appendix A: - List of written submissions

Appendix B: - List of witnesses at Public Hearings

Appendix C: - List of Committee Reports