Deputies on pensions
Monday 18th April 2011, 2:27PM BST.
Peter Gillson
I am part of the pension scheme but was not aware of the disparity of the contributions, both between States Members and the States, and in relation to the Employer’s contributions made for Deputies and Established staff. I think that it is more appropriate to consider the pension arrangements a part of the full remuneration package for Deputies, as one does for other pay groups, rather than as a stand alone item. In this way I look forward to the recommendations of the review panel which is currently considering the whole question of remuneration for States Members.
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Interesting comments, but I just wish there had been a question about whether the scheme should be Defined Benefit or Defined Contribution. This is THE big issue with public sector schemes generally.
Will the independent review be considering the option of a DC scheme for deputies?
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Deputy Mike Garrett’s response is a perfect example as to why the States’ Defined Benefit (gold plated) schemes, propped up by the Guernsey taxpayer, should end now.
Arrogant, head in the sand and what on earth has this man done during the last three years?
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Martino – at least Deputy Garrett actually bothered to respond in some detail and present his views.
You may not agree with him but I’m sure you’d agree with me that it is far better to hear the views of someone you disagree with than be fobbed off.
Speaking of fobbing off, read Deputy Peter Sirrett’s “response.” Then there are the 7 Deputies who didn’t respond at all – however I will give them the benefit of the doubt as they may be extenuating circumstances we are unaware of.
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Yes, you’re right in that respect Paul. The ones who didn’t respond and those like Deputy Sirrett who engaged in a fobbing off exercise have shown their clear contempt for the electorate.
Praise though to morally sound Deputies like Tony Spruce who have been totally open and honest and who have pulled out of the scheme because they can see the obvious unfairness of it all.
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Yes, Martino – I agree that those who oppose the scheme have done the right thing in pulling out.
In the spirit of honesty though, it would be remiss of me not to point out that I actually think our Deputies should be paid more than they are at this time. Whether that remuneration comes in salaried form or as part of a pension scheme is another matter though.
I personally think that, given the potentially short career of a politician, it would be better both from an administrative and moral perspective to pay our Deputies a higher salary and expect them to make their own pension arrangements if they so wish.
As I’m not a Deputy I can say with all sincerity that I have no vested interest in holding this view, apart from my own opinions on the importance of the role and what is a fair wage.
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Yes, Paul, fair enough, but another huge anomaly at the centre of all of this is that they’re supposed to be ‘self-employed’ like I am. `Also, how on earth are deputies to put an end to the unsustainable public employee gold plated pension scheme if they persist with their own?
The only fair way to resolve this is through an independent review of both politicians’ and civil servant pensions, carried out by a panel of PRIVATE pensions experts, that is absolutely binding on all parties.
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Self-employed – that’s something else we have in common, Martino!
As you will know, being self-employed means that Deputies have to pay a higher contribution rate than if they were employed – it also saves the taxpayer money by removing the employer’s contribution. So from that perspective it’s not all bad.
Like you though I do find the whole “self-employed” thing slightly bizarre in the context of pension arrangements. Perhaps the best way to avoid this confusion would be to remove the pension (leaving members to contribute to a private pension if they so wish) and pay a higher wage?
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I think you’ve hit the nail on the head Paul. Treat our deputies as true self-employed and raise the wage, leaving them free like the rest of us to cater for their own private pension arrangements, if any. In the meantime suspend the current scheme.
The civil servant nut is harder one to crack but those Defined Benefit pensions have got to go. In the real world of the private sector they’ve all but gone already because they’re simply unaffordable.
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