As part of overhauling parliamentary entitlements, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has today announced that the Life Gold Pass perks for MPs will be cancelled immediately.
Prime Minister has reportedly announced this decision to the coalition MPs at a meeting of Liberal and National parties in Canberra today.
The announcement comes after allegations against a few politicians for misusing tax payer money for personal travels.
Reports say the politicians elected since 2012 will not be qualified for the scheme. At the same time, only former Prime Ministers will be entitled to the allowance. However, Turnbull announced that being a millionaire he will not be using the perk, The Australian reports.
Following the resignation of former Health Minister Sussan Ley earlier this year in relation to a travel expense scandal, the government had plans to phase out the entitlements. As an unexpected blow Turnbull today announced to abolish it.
According to reports, the announcement has irked long-serving MPs.
The Gold Pass scheme which was first introduced in 1918 had grown into an expensive entitlement by 1990s costing a million dollar a year as flight charges for ex-MPs and their spouses. As part of the scheme, former MPs and senators were given 10 free return airfares within Australia every year.
