The Anguilla House of Assembly has approved a motion calling for lawmakers to contribute towards their pensions for the first time.
The motion, brought by opposition member Haydn Hughes on 14 July, calls for legislation to establish mandatory pension payments for assembly members before the end of the year.
Hughes said the change would correct what he described as an existing “anomaly” and align legislators’ retirement arrangements with principles of fairness, accountability and fiscal responsibility.
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Currently the Legislators Pensions Act provides pension benefits for current and former members of the assembly through the government’s consolidated fund with no contributions required from legislators.
Meanwhile, other jurisdictions, including the Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, the Cayman Islands and the Falkland Islands, have adopted contributory pension arrangements for legislators.
Hughes’ proposal calls for the legislation and any other relevant enactments to be amended to allow for a mandatory contributory pension scheme.
It requests the establishment of an appropriate contribution rate and mechanism for the collection, administration and management of such contributions.
The motion also asks for legislation to provide for government contributions to the scheme, where considered appropriate, and to protect and preserve pension rights and benefits already accrued.
‘The right thing to do’
Hughes said, in presenting the motion, that assembly members, including the speaker, are eligible for pension benefits after completing a period of service and reaching the required retirement age.
“They have not paid into it in the past, and we are not here to blame anyone or any political party, but to remedy this anomaly and fix it – and that is why we are tabling it here today.”
A number of government members rose in support of the motion, including education minister Shellya Rogers-Webster who said she welcomed its introduction by the opposition.
“The establishment of a contributory pension system for legislators is not only the right thing to do, but it is also an important step in strengthening public confidence in our institutions,” she said.
“A contributory system promotes fairness, accountability and shared responsibility.
“It ensures that those who benefit from a pension also contribute to it, consistent with the principles that apply to many workers throughout the wider Anguilla public service.”
Rogers-Webster added that the government has already undertaken significant work on reforming the legislators’ pension system and that the process is well advanced.
She said her support for making the pension contributory predated her time in government, noting that she had researched the issue while in opposition and had advocated for reform before the election.
‘Necessary changes’
Next to speak, infrastructure minister Jose Vanterpool said the government was aware that the change needed to be made and had been supportive of it.
“I think that we should get this done far in advance of the December deadline,” he said. “We look forward to this administration being the administration to bring the necessary changes.”
Economic development minister Kyle Hodge reiterated that the government had been working on reforms to the Legislators Pension Act since taking office and had committed to introducing amendments.
He cautioned that the opposition’s motion should not be presented as the change itself, explaining that it was simply a call for debate and discussion rather than legislation being enacted.
Hodge explained that the government’s proposed amendments will go through public consultation, adding that internal reviews have been carried out, and the reforms will be brought forward in due course.
It was unanimously approved, with all members voting in favour.
A motion is a formal proposal voted on during a sitting of parliament. Approval expresses the assembly’s support for an action but does not itself change the law.
