insurance cover.

The new benefits are contained in the Government Employees Health Insurance Amendment Act, which allows legislators to voluntarily join the Government pension and health insurance scheme.

Government Senate Leader Milton Scott made it clear, however, that health benefits would be suspended for MPs and Senators if they left the legislature.

In addition, members could not pay into the pension if they left office, and the pension would only become payable when they reach retirement age.

Sen. Scott said it would be unfair if elected members enjoyed privileges not available to other public employees in the scheme.

He was responding to a question from Senate Opposition Leader Maxwell Burgess during the Senate debate yesterday.

Sen. Burgess said a legislator who left office when he was 50 would have to wait until he was 60 to get his Government pension and would have to arrange for a job and other coverage in the meantime.

Sen. Scott said: "We can't bring forward an amendment which gives members of the legislature additional benefits that Government employees don't have.

"If you lose your seat as a member, you will not be in receipt of the pension and you will not be entitled to have Government health insurance.'' He said other legislation was in place to ensure that private sector companies had to provide insurance for their employees, which would cover former MPs.

"This Act says that if you are a member of the legislature, you can elect to be enrolled in the scheme. If you chose to be a member and in a future date you no longer sit here or in another place (the House), that coverage stops,'' he explained.

Pension coverage would apply again in the future when the former legislator reached retirement age.

The bill, which was moved by Government Sen. Patrice Parris, was passed without amendment.

Sen. Parris also moved the Payroll Tax Amendment bill to make MPs liable for the payroll tax.

There was outrage in October when it emerged that MPs were to be excluded from the payroll tax because they were not considered to be Government employees.

Government performed a U-turn on the issue last month in the House of Assembly.

Sen. Parris said: "What this amendment seeks to do is to legitimise the taking or payment of payroll tax by Members by now deeming that all Members of the House and Senate are employees of Government.

"We recognise in the past that taxes have been taken and there is no provision within the law that will allow us to go back retroactively to collect the taxes since the purpose of this legislation is to bring forward this change.'' The Opposition unanimously supported the bill. Sen. Burgess said: "This makes eminent good sense.'' HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY HOA