John Armstrong: The cleanup goes only so far

Sir Geoffrey Palmer. Photo / Steven McNicholl

Some MPs may well be choking on their chardonnay when they join the obligatory toast to Sir Geoffrey Palmer in Parliament's Grand Hall later today.

Yesterday's Law Commission report on MPs' pay and entitlements is bound to have left a sour taste in some MPs' mouths.

In one of those delicious accidents of coincidence, Justice Minister Simon Power is tonight hosting a parliamentary reception in honour of Sir Geoffrey's work for the commission.

Not everyone present will be impressed with his latest offering, though they would never say as much and are probably resigned to the inevitability of their perks being cut.

Given the public mood, the Law Commission's recommendations for an independent body to set MPs' and ministers' entitlements amount to an offer the Prime Minister could hardly refuse.

Not that he would have wanted to.

John Key has driven much of the reform which has brought daylight to the perk-murk as it benefits MPs and ministers.

Sir Geoffrey has simply provided him with even more cover to do so.

When it comes to parties standing to benefit - rather than individuals - it may well be a different story.

Where Sir Geoffrey's report is already encountering resistance is over the recommendation that "party and member support funding" also be set by the Remuneration Authority.

That "support funding" is de facto state funding of parliamentary parties. It is administered by the Parliamentary Service under the aegis of the Speaker. The amount parties get is contingent on the number of seats they have. For Labour and National, such funding can top $7 million. Such amounts are not to be sniffed at.

Sir Geoffrey argues that entitlements to such funding should be determined by a body that is independent of those who stand to benefit from its decisions.

No decision has yet been made on shifting the determination of "support funding" to the Remuneration Authority.

A similar coyness applies to Sir Geoffrey's recommendation that the Parliamentary Service should be subject to the Official Information Act.

Sir Geoffrey may have provided the means to flush out what has become New Zealand politics' equivalent of the Augean stables.

But for some inhabitants - and not just National - the springclean goes only so far.