As I've said here before on HC one of the implications of the whole fiasco is this:
1. Those who are ineligible were always ineligible, ie they weren't sacked by the High Court, they were never entitled to be there. Ergo, they weren't entitled to draw salary - practice in the past has been to raise a debt, let ineligible members apply for a waiver, then waive the debt.
Not sure I agree. Plenty of people are overpaid Centrelink or underway tax because of ignorance of the law, but nobody writes off those debts!
2. Ineligible members, as I understand, forgo any additional benefits e.g. the generous unfunded pension for those elected prior to 2004.
3. This raises an important point I have not seen raised by any commentator. There are many retired politicians (still alive) elected prior to 2004. Some (maybe many) would fall foul of S44. Why shouldn't they all be audited too? The prospect of someone enjoying a pension gratis you and me to which theyre not entitled not only irritates me as a taxpayer, but is unjust compared to those caught out whilst serving members. Why should they be left alone whilst living on an indexed pension for the rest of their lives thumbing their noses at taxpayers?
