Unseated Peter Dutton could cost taxpayers $280k per year

Unseated and ousted as opposition leader, Peter Dutton’s time in parliament is over. But taxpayers are set to keep paying him in retirement.

Ousted opposition leader Peter Dutton’s post-parliament pension could cost taxpayers up to $280,000 per year.

Mr Dutton led the Coalition to a historic defeat at the federal election, with the opposition on track to hold just 40 seats to Labor’s projected 90.

He himself was swept up in the red wave, losing the seat of Dickson to Labor’s Ali France after holding onto the Queensland electorate for 24 years.

Ousted opposition leader Peter Dutton’s post-parliament pension could cost taxpayers up to $280,000 per year. Picture: Richard Dobson / NewsWire

He spent 11½ of those years as a minister, some six years as an opposition spokesman and just less than three years as an opposition leader.

Parliamentary pensions are complex to calculate and rules have changed significantly over Mr Dutton’s time in office.

But his time spent in higher positions would be calculated as a percentage of an MP’s base pay.

Parliamentarians voted to give themselves a pay rise last in July, pushing the base MP salary up to $233,660.

Mr Dutton’s $280,000 pension would be significantly lower than the $432,239 he was paid as opposition leader.

But it would keep him in the top 1 per cent of income earners, according to Australian Taxation Office data.

He also owns properties and has reportedly made $30m in property transactions over 35 years.

Instead of collecting a pension, Mr Dutton could opt for a multimillion-dollar lump sum.

Originally published as Unseated Peter Dutton could cost taxpayers $280k per year