Almost 90,000 people have signed an online petition demanding an end to generous post-Parliament perks for politicians.
Most of the 25 federal politicians who are not re-contesting the July 2 election will be paid a pension of $118,000 a year – and in some cases much more – for the rest of their lives.
Nineteen are believed to be eligible for the controversial Parliamentary Contributory Superannuation Scheme, a defined benefits scheme that already costs taxpayers more than $40 million a year.
Most will be paid a minimum of $118,125 – or 75 per cent of a current MP's base salary for superannuation purposes of $157,500. Many will also benefit from extra allowances for time served as ministers or office holders.
Former speaker Bronwyn Bishop, who was dumped by her party last month, will be one of the biggest beneficiaries, grossing around $255,000 a year. Former deputy prime minister Warren Truss and long-serving ministers Ian Macfarlane and Philip Ruddock will get between $150,000 and $200,000 a year.
While the scheme is only available to politicians elected before 2004, the petition calls for it to be scrapped entirely.
Started by Queensland woman Michelle Pedersen, the change.org petition started last year hit the 88,000 mark on Saturday.
Ms Pedersen, a support worker in the disabilities sector, says she started the petition out of "sheer frustration" that politicians continued to suck on the public teat long after they stopped serving the public.
"The current 'leaders' of this country say that we have to tighten our belts, to live within our means," she said.
"I am sure that you, like myself, would like to continue being paid a pension and entitlements after holding a position for a few years until the day we die. However, this is not how it is for us. We don't make the rules."
The petition is more than halfway to its goal of 150,000 signatures.
The Parliament is losing more than 400 years of lawmaking experience with this year's mass exodus.
And that's not including the MPs and senators who have called it quits since the 2013 election, sparking by-elections or Senate vacancies.
Of those, former prime minister Kevin Rudd, former treasurer Joe Hockey and senators Brett Mason and Kate Lundy also qualify for pensions.
John Howard scrapped the pension scheme for new MPs in 2004 after coming under pressure from then-opposition leader Mark Latham.
Several of the longest-serving MPs, including Mrs Bishop, Mr Ruddock and Mr Truss, will also be eligible for the Life Gold Pass, which entitles them to 10 taxpayer-funded business-class return flights a year.
