Politicians' salaries

[au350hp]

My wifes old man was arguing that polies deserve the wages they get. I reckon its too much like the private sector. I know of people who do next to nothing, drink themselves stupid every day from lunchtime out, and they work in the back rooms of some canberra office getting $180,000 per year plus the longest list of extras like travel allowance, meals allowance, town cars & taxis, the list goes on. These two I am talking about are just taking the p-ss and there is thousands of them. Then there is the thousands of people who don't actually go to work, but because of a contract or clause, they are still on full wages totalling tens of millions a year. The last 20 years has seen every profitable utility sold to any bidder without any guidelines to protect the end user. They operate the state like a private business, doing what they want to raise money so they can build a bridge or get their name on an opening. When do we demand transparency? When is enough enough?

[b0son]

Originally Posted by Roostercam

When is enough enough?

When their pay is reviewed by an *independent* tribunal.

[Raptor]

Hmmm, sure there are issues there but I have bigger problems with CEO/CFO salaries and bonuses being stupid multiples of their employees. Maybe set a cap on that of maybe 10:1.

Yes, It's time Pollies and everyone else started paying for their own meal times. Business lunches my ****, it's a tax rort if private or nose in the trough of the public purse if public.

Let's see if they'll spend their own money so freely.






.

[Junkyard-Dog]

Originally Posted by Raptor

Hmmm, sure there are issues there but I have bigger problems with CEO/CFO salaries and bonuses being stupid multiples of their employees. Maybe set a cap on that of maybe 10:1.

There are plenty of CEOs that are actually worth the money though - they drive the company in the right direction and make the shareholders happy by giving them great returns on their investment.

By comparison, our politicians rarely fulfill their grand promises yet they live like kings.

[Adamz Ghia]

Politics competes with the private sector to attract the best candidates. Pay the politicians less and they'll go into the private sector. The government can't regulate executive salaries of private companies. Good luck to them if they ever tried.

[comfortablynumb]

Originally Posted by Raptor

Hmmm, sure there are issues there but I have bigger problems with CEO/CFO salaries and bonuses being stupid multiples of their employees. Maybe set a cap on that of maybe 10:1.

Yes, It's time Pollies and everyone else started paying for their own meal times. Business lunches my ****, it's a tax rort if private or nose in the trough of the public purse if public.

Let's see if they'll spend their own money so freely.







.

Yup.

They can pay up front themselves and then claim it back at tax time. Like the rest of us.....

[Ben73]

Originally Posted by Raptor

Hmmm, sure there are issues there but I have bigger problems with CEO/CFO salaries and bonuses being stupid multiples of their employees. Maybe set a cap on that of maybe 10:1.



.

I have no issue with CEO salaries when their companies are doing well.
It's pathetic when CEO's are slashing employee wages and getting rid of people because the business is "broke", but somehow the CEO is still earning as much as ever which is usually in the millions per year.

There is one particular company I know where the CEO got a 34% pay increase in one year while at the same time also saying that they can't afford a 4% increase for the regular employees working in one of the most profitable parts of the company.


I found out the local Mayor has a base salary of about 100k which isn't too bad. I know they get all the other allowances, but it seams at the federal and state level politicians are earning hundreds of thousands a year for doing **** all.

[CoupeKing]

Should be another vote when they vacate in order to get their pension/benefits.

[sprintman1]

Having spent 3 1/2 years up at Parliament House I reckon they and their staff don't get paid nearly enough. The hours spent there are ludicrous and then there's the travel. Ministers live are planed in sub hourly segments months in advance, not a life style for any sane person

[zipping]

Originally Posted by sprintman1

Having spent 3 1/2 years up at Parliament House I reckon they and their staff don't get paid nearly enough. The hours spent there are ludicrous and then there's the travel. Ministers live are planed in sub hourly segments months in advance, not a life style for any sane person

I agree with this having worked for a backbencher. It also costs them a lot going to functions and raising party funds to be a politician.

The real question is are we getting value for money. As JP said if they perform then its all good.

The problem is that we are attracting lifers on all sides with little real life experience. Whether being a union organiser or IPA'r or student activist the room for people with real life experience is limited.

Overwhelmingly, lawyers are massively over represented in the Parliament. Lawyers never create anything much of value and generally take a sledgehammer approach to small problems. Just pick any area of law and you will be astounded by how many statute laws there are plus delegated legislation.

I was interested to see how Ricky Muir would go as the accidental politician. Didn't do all that badly I preferred him to say a Xenophone or Wilkey.

[Mercury Bullet]

Originally Posted by zipping

I agree with this having worked for a backbencher. It also costs them a lot going to functions and raising party funds to be a politician.

The real question is are we getting value for money. As JP said if they perform then its all good.

The problem is that we are attracting lifers on all sides with little real life experience. Whether being a union organiser or IPA'r or student activist the room for people with real life experience is limited.

Overwhelmingly, lawyers are massively over represented in the Parliament. Lawyers never create anything much of value and generally take a sledgehammer approach to small problems. Just pick any area of law and you will be astounded by how many statute laws there are plus delegated legislation.

I was interested to see how Ricky Muir would go as the accidental politician. Didn't do all that badly I preferred him to say a Xenophone or Wilkey.

We used to have unions looking after the workers interests.
Now it's a bunch of lawyers either working for big business or working for the greenies.

We have lost our voice.

[JC]

Originally Posted by Roostercam

My wifes old man was arguing that polies deserve the wages they get. I reckon its too much like the private sector. I know of people who do next to nothing, drink themselves stupid every day from lunchtime out, and they work in the back rooms of some canberra office getting $180,000 per year plus the longest list of extras like travel allowance, meals allowance, town cars & taxis, the list goes on. These two I am talking about are just taking the p-ss and there is thousands of them. Then there is the thousands of people who don't actually go to work, but because of a contract or clause, they are still on full wages totalling tens of millions a year. The last 20 years has seen every profitable utility sold to any bidder without any guidelines to protect the end user. They operate the state like a private business, doing what they want to raise money so they can build a bridge or get their name on an opening. When do we demand transparency? When is enough enough?

Are you talking about politicians or public servants. As the latter, I'm insulted, and as far as the former goes, they work fairly hard for their salaries that range from $180k to $400k. Certainly harder than most CEOs that get millions.

[Itsme]

I'm jealous, wish I was on the gravy train!

[Maka]

Lets see if they are even eligible (section 44, being a Aussie citizen) to receive a serving politicians wage first lol..

The honorable federal pollies do work massive hours so they do deserve a wage commensurate with the pressure & expectations of a nation on their backs everyday.

But more increases in pollie wages in this age of austerity & stagnant wage growth is a bad look i reckon, dosent pass the pub test for me.

cheers, Maka

[Stefan]

I dont't believe they get over paid for what they do (if they actually do it that is) most middle managers in building companies I work for are paid more than a federal MP.

MP needs to be away from family, work long hours, weekends, probably longer hours than most people.

What I dont agree with is being paid beyond their term in office, travel for life etc.. but while in office they are paid bugger all really.

IMO

[Itsme]

Originally Posted by Stefan

I dont't believe they get over paid for what they do (if they actually do it that is) most middle managers in building companies I work for are paid more than a federal MP.

MP needs to be away from family, work long hours, weekends, probably longer hours than most people.

What I dont agree with is being paid beyond their term in office, travel for life etc.. but while in office they are paid bugger all really.

IMO

Agree with most of what you say but I think the perks that go with their salaries should be reviewed, honestly some are way over the top with the remuneration they receive is ridiculous beyond belief.

[jpblue1000]

Good decisions, good leadership and good management of our country on our behalf can yield great benefits for all Australians and over time there have been good politicians leading the country well on both sides of the fence at bot federal and state level. These teams of people earned their remuneration. The people benefitted from good social services, a strong balanced economy and a sense of well-being bought on by the governments leadership.
At other times poor leaders have been made to look good by a booming economy where it was hard to fail, but perhaps we suffer a bit today because of their decisions.
I dont begrudge a good remuneration package to attract the right people, because I believe the right people will make the right decisions. I do have issues with accountability and onward benefits for those that failed to lead and make a positive contribution to all.
For some reason the recent generation of politicians of most flavours are not fulfilling the ideas, leadership or management criteria.
JP

[au350hp]

I meant no offence if any was taken. I just tire of hearing about the constant abuse of positions, millions of dollars wasted in deals that should never have been contemplated in the first place and just general incompetence. It seems the current NSW government couldn't wait to sell One Billion dollars worth of assets and commit to massive projects that always have huge blowouts in costs which the govt has to pay for because they didn't have the right people drawing up the contracts & establishing timelines etc. Look at the NSW desalination plant, the govt just payed out $535 million to keep it inoperable. They will continue to do so for the next 50 years because a contract signed by the govt guarantees payment annually even if it never produces a drop. This is but one of thousands of botched contracts hastily drawn up & agreed to, clearly by people out of their depth, who are now, been paid the same or higher wages than their professional opposites working in the private sector. I am glad I'm not a young'n as I reckon its going to continue the same way.

[Ford17]

What about public servants who are supposed to be running public utilities efficiently?

Eg. Power Stations - We're one of the largest producers of coal in the world, export it for next to nothing, yet pay premium prices for it to keep us cold/warm.

Eg 2. In the 20th century, public servants could not only create new railway lines, but also manage them effectively. All for a modest salary.
Now it takes a Prime-Minister's salary just to run them inefficiently.

What gives?

[b0son]

Originally Posted by Ford17

Eg. Power Stations - We're one of the largest producers of coal in the world, export it for next to nothing, yet pay premium prices for it to keep us cold/warm.

They seem to be operating under assumption that its better to get money for it now while people are still using it ... ignoring the fact that we're still going to need coal to make pretty much anything that's got a lot of of carbon (eg. plastic).

[George V]

Not directly related to politicians salaries but I am sure carbon in plastics comes from natural gas. Caustic soda and chlorine comes from salt to form PVC.

Coal / coke will be required in steelmaking .......

Cheers,
George V

[b0son]

Right now, yes, natural gas and oil. But in the future they will need to move over to coal. There are already some pilot plants exploring this.

[uniacidz]

Salaries and especially pensions needs to be reviewed

Funny we elect them to do good but they take advantage like in regards to wages and pensions yet rip the hearts out of less fortunate





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[au350hp]

Single reason alternative energy is continually slammed as too hard is this:
The networks for the powerful few to take the lions share of the profits is already in place. Don't forget we own no utilities anymore but that's ok because Malcom had a chat to the Power Brokers who promised that we will all get a letter explaining how they structure the electricity charges. Great result that, I can use the letter to start the fire in the backyard that I will need to cook on and heat water

[neptune blue]

wages , may be , perks wroughts, super and all the other crap that they milk from us absolutely including free travel and office, staffing etc for former prime misters NO !!!!

[davenl5l]

Politicians are all liars and thieves. Every working Australian past and present has been contributing 7.5% of their gross wage into the Pension Fund since the late 1940's .The pollies started changing the rules regarding access to our own money in the 70's by stealing from retires who had there own super. This eventually led to our pension fund being placed in general revenue. All pensioners should be receiving at least double what they are now .Instead we have these lyers telling (and convincing)the younger generation that pensioners are a burden and everybody should work longer.

Originally Posted by davenl5l

Politicians are all liars and thieves. Every working Australian past and present has been contributing 7.5% of their gross wage into the Pension Fund since the late 1940's .The pollies started changing the rules regarding access to our own money in the 70's by stealing from retires who had there own super. This eventually led to our pension fund being placed in general revenue. All pensioners should be receiving at least double what they are now .Instead we have these lyers telling (and convincing)the younger generation that pensioners are a burden and everybody should work longer.

Perhaps it turned out to be insufficient?
These days, people still contribute a good chunk of their wages as tax (which is used for many things, including funding the dole/welfare/pension payments for others) AS WELL as having 9.5% of their own salary withheld each year to be put into a superannuation account.

[au350hp]

Originally Posted by leesa

Perhaps it turned out to be insufficient?
These days, people still contribute a good chunk of their wages as tax (which is used for many things, including funding the dole/welfare/pension payments for others) AS WELL as having 9.5% of their own salary withheld each year to be put into a superannuation account.

My wife showed me the figures around the cost of welfare on the tax payer and it is actually one of the smaller outgoings from the state coffers. Over blown govt budgets, way too many staff doing way too little getting paid way too much with way too many perks. Yes, I am way over the continual incompetence and the self entitlement shown by public servants.

[davenl5l]

Originally Posted by leesa

Perhaps it turned out to be insufficient?
These days, people still contribute a good chunk of their wages as tax (which is used for many things, including funding the dole/welfare/pension payments for others) AS WELL as having 9.5% of their own salary withheld each year to be put into a superannuation account.

NO apparently it was plenty similar to the british pension system. The point being it IS our money NOT general revinue

[nuthin' fancy]

Politicians earn a fraction of what they would in the private market. The generous allowances and superannuation and pensions was to compensate them for their sacrifice.

Now, they are not lifetime politicians but use a period of time in politics to leverage opportunities outside politics.

I would prefer much more transparency. In addition to their salary, they receive many benefits, including an exemption from capital gains on some investment property.

They should be paid an overall salary and funds their lifestyle choices from this.
They should be banned from advantaging family members in the allowances they receive.
Their benefits after they leave should be means tested.