Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House

Dorothy Tangney's Life Gold Pass

These Life Gold Passes allowed retired parliamentarians to travel for free.

This pocket-sized gold medallion granted the owner unlimited free travel. It features embossed lettering reading 'Railways of Australia' and 'Life Pass' and is engraved with the name 'Dame Dorothy Tangney D.B.E'. The medal is small and light, only slightly larger than a 50-cent piece, but thinner and lighter than many coins.

One side of a gold pocket-sized medallion with a crown at the top and the text 'Dame Dorothy Tangney D.B.E.' and 'Life Pass' around the Commonwealth Coat of Arms.

Dorothy Tangney's pocket-sized Life Gold Pass, which granted her free travel, for life.

One side of a gold pocket-sized medallion with a crown at the top and the text 'Railways of Australia' above a map outline of Australia.

Life Gold Passes were awarded to retiring parliamentarians from 1918 onwards, initially for railway travel and later for air travel. However, not every parliamentarian received one. Initially passes were awarded at government discretion, and after 1976, a member of parliament had to serve for 20 years in parliament, or the life of seven parliaments. However, a prime minister only had to serve one year before becoming eligible. Other ministers, such as the president of the senate, the speaker of the House of Representatives, and the leader of the opposition only had to serve six years. For more details about the requirements, you can view the Federal Register of Legislation or the Analysis & Policy Observatory.

Dorothy Tangney received this Life Gold Pass following her retirement in 1968, after a 25-year career, which included serving on multiple parliamentary committees.

As technology and travel booking services developed it, it was no longer necessary to use or show the actual pass, but medallions continued to be produced and presented right up until 2010. It was a token of time served kept in your pocket.

Anecdotally, it seems the Life Gold Pass was used to attend certain large events (Flemington Races anyone?), where former parliamentarians showed the pass and received free entry. However, this may have been more about who was presenting the pass, rather than the pass itself.

With increasingly easy and frequent travel, scheme costs grew, and questions were asked about value for taxpayers' dollars. From 2002, the number of flights allowed was gradually reduced. However, some retired MPs were still avid users, taking up to 40 flights in a six-month period. Another group of former MPs tried to challenge the reduction in the High Court of Australia, but they were unsuccessful. Ultimately, the scheme was abolished in 2017.

While the passes haven't been presented in a while, they remind us of the privileges granted to past parliamentarians and our changing perspectives around entitlements.

Where did the idea for a travel Gold Pass come from?

Politicians didn't come up with the idea for the Life Gold Pass – it already existed and was called the Australian Railways Pass. It was awarded to worthy individuals and is still given out by some companies to their retired employees.

Why do parliamentarians need to travel after they retire?

Former parliamentarians may travel for leisure (holidays), for non-commercial work, such as being involved with a charity or acting as an advisor in an unpaid role, or to visit their former offices. The only travel the Gold Pass could not be used for was commercial, aka for financial gain or reward. Its primary purpose was for holiday travel.