As the reality of the election results set in, and politicians emerge from their post-election celebrations (or commiserations), the latest crop of ousted MPs are heading back to Parliament to clean out their desks.
Labour’s Nanaia Mahuta, Michael Wood and Tāmati Coffey are among those waving goodbye to Parliament, and most of its perks.
But amid the gloom of defeat, there’s the shining light of cushy MP exit packages.
Flights, an exit salary and generous pension are among the benefits those leaving office are eligible to receive.
MPs are granted three months’ salary - which would depend on their position and portfolios.
For example, the Prime Minister receives an annual salary of $471,049, the Deputy Prime Minister gets $334,734 and the leader of the Opposition is on $296,007.
Former Labour MP Nanaia Mahuta. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Other members of Parliament receive $163,961, with additional pay for those who are deputy leaders, whips or have other additional responsibilities.
Although most departing MPs will lose their taxpayer-funded travel, bar flights to clear out their offices, Nanaia Mahuta will retain a 75 discount on international travel each year, up to the equivalent of a business class return trip to London. It also applies to spouses.
That is because Mahuta entered Parliament in 1996 - the last intake of MPs to qualify for the perk.
It applied to MPs who had served more than three terms in Parliament, but does not apply to MPs who arrived in 1999 or later. Under that, former MPs who served three terms got a 60 per cent discount, those who did four terms got 75 per cent, and those who did five or more got 90 per cent. It was frozen in the 2008 term, so that MPs who qualified for it did not continue to accrue their entitlement.
That meant MPs elected in 1996 were the last to qualify, but had their entitlements frozen at the 75 per cent level. The only other MPs still in Parliament who will get it are Labour’s Damien O’Connor who entered Parliament in 1993, National MP Gerry Brownlee, who entered in 1996 and Winston Peters, who was first elected an MP in 1978.
Leaving MPs also lose their accommodation subsidies.
Ex-Prime Ministers who have served more than two years are in a better position and are given $57,000 annuity, a tax-funded car and free domestic and international travel.
MPs also receive a generous pension, getting $2.50 for every $1 contributed.
