ID'S PATRICIA DE LILLE QUESTIONS PRAVIN GORDHAN OVER MPS' TRAVEL CLAIMS

ID President Patricia de Lille has submitted a question [below] for written response to Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan, requesting a detailed breakdown of the financial cost to Parliament of MPs' travel and accommodation claims over the past two financial years.

Three months ago Ms De Lille requested this information from the Speaker after hearing stories of some MPs supplementing their salaries with R30 000 to R40 000 a month, but the request was refused.

‘Not only is all Government spending the Finance Minister's constitutional responsibility, but his many calls to MPs to set an example in terms of taking on corruption and being accountable are still fresh in our minds,' says De Lille.

On the 13th of November 2009 Mr Gordhan said all 400 MPs should sign "a collective commitment" to fight corruption and De Lille says the ID has taken the Minister up on his invitation to political parties to "join us in this campaign."

De Lille sent the Speaker the letter on 20 October 2009, requesting "a detailed breakdown of all travel and accommodation claims processed in favour of MPs in the National Assembly since being elected to office.

The Speaker responded, advising the ID Leader that she should approach the Joint Rules Committee, or use the Promotion of Access to Information Act if she wanted the information.

Shortly after the Speaker's response, in a November 17 2009 media statement, De Lille said she was ‘extremely concerned' that some MPs "are often driving across the country even when there is an airport at their destination, just so that they can claim more money than if they were to fly."

Road travel is set against the 86 single plane tickets MPs are allowed each year, meaning that MPs get reimbursed in cash for a plane ticket provided by Parliament.

"If you drive to Johannesburg and back you lose two single plane tickets, but the cost to Parliament for your trip is triple as much as if you fly," De Lille said at the time.

For the 2786 km return trip from Cape Town to Johannesburg an MP would get, at R3.69 per km, a total of R10 305 in travel claims.

In addition to this, because the drive to Johannesburg is over 800 km, the MP is entitled to claim R1150 for an overnight stay on the way to Johannesburg and another R1150 on the way back.

‘Add this R2 300 for accommodation to the R10 305 and you get R12 605, compared to Parliament's going rate of R4 354 for a return ticket to Johannesburg,' De Lille added, in November last year.

In the October letter to the Speaker De Lille also proposed the publication of a quarterly report for public scrutiny, "which will contribute significantly towards the prevention of any abuse of public resources."

In his response the Speaker said the travel and accommodation claims could not be made public because this would be seen as a violation of MPs' privacy and it would pose a security risk.

‘Based on the Speaker's advice, the ID has instructed its lawyers to start a process in terms of the Promotion of Access to Information Act and if I do not succeed with Parliament then I will certainly turn to the courts to get this information, which I am entitled to as a member of this institution,' says De Lille.

The ID Leader has also written to the Joint Rules Committee [below], but says that ‘since the Committee is run by MPs it is almost a given that it will not want to produce a rule that will change the current system.

‘To the ID it does not make sense that while Parliament holds the Executive to account and MPs that are Ministers have to disclose exactly what they are spending on travel and accommodation, other MPs are only accountable to themselves.

‘This leaves us in the very tricky position of having no one watching over the watchdogs,' says De Lille.

A legal opinion sought by the ID Leader found that even though Section 57 of the Constitution states "(1) The National Assembly may - (b) make rules and orders concerning its business", this must be done "with due regard to representative and participatory democracy, accountability, transparency and public involvement."

‘It is imperative that we protect the integrity of the institution of Parliament. In this regard the ID has itself implemented a system whereby any claims submitted by our MPs and MPLs to Parliament, or the legislatures, must also be approved by the caucus,' De Lille says.

‘I would like to call on other parties to do the same. However, we must also deal with those that are alleged to have abused the system and change the rules to prevent future abuses from happening.'

National Assembly

Written Reply

Date submitted:

Ms Patricia de Lille to ask the Minister of Finance;

1. In reference to the letter what was the financial cost to parliament of MP's (excluding cabinet members) travel expenses (air, road, train) and accommodation from 1st May 2009 to the 28th February 2010 and the last financial year?

2. Can the Minister provide a breakdown per MP from 1st May 2009 to the 28th February 2010 and the last financial year, if not, why not;

3. Will the Minister consider releasing this information quarterly from 2010 on?

From the office of the president Patricia de Lille

The Speaker of the National Assembly
Hon. M.V. Sisulu, MP

Hon Speaker

Re: REQUEST FOR INFORMATION iro. MP's TRAVEL CLAIMS

Further to your correspondence dated 11 November 2009 regarding my concern over possible abuses of MP travel claims. According to your recommendation therein, I hereby wish to request this issue be put on the agenda of the next Joint Rules Committee meeting.

I thank you for you cooperation in this regard and I hope this matter can be resolved in a way that brings accountability and transparency.

Yours faithfully

Patricia de Lille, MP
President
Independent Democrats

Statement issued by Patricia de Lille, MP, President of the Independent Democrats, January 20 2010

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