Time for review of Ex Politicians Entitlements
Posted by: Lynjoy
18th Feb 2012 12:05pm
I think it is time for a Independent review of expolititians entitlements.
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Comments 25
PGS
It needs to be decided by the people, not the politicians. They won't give themselves less, only more.
Ex-premiers/PM etc should only get the 'assistance' for 2 years. Nothing AT ALL after that.
All politicians should be subject to the same pension & super rules as everybody else. As they can be made retrospective for us, it can be done for them. Back to 2000 at least. :)
afn1960
Yes I agree .
You dont see our ex Boss paying or giving us any entitlements when we retire.
Ex-politicians are just that and deserve nothing
19chris51
I agree with you Lynjoy, we retire on a pittance (pension) compared to them,, NOT one politicion is worth the money they get
simla
I'd like to see an overhaul of the whole system! First start with a requirement that politians be required to have a recognized qualification in Ethics and Philosophy, alongside any other qualifications they may have.
This should help those elected to have a balanced,logical ethical and unbiased approach to the job in hand.
It may,if introduced, be the self regulating measure to get those in power to look deeper into the ethics of accepting those perks that are seen as unfair by the general population. By so doing, they would be adding an incentive for voters to vote them back for another term. That would be their reward.
simla
Yes, that is the way it works at present. Front benchers are warned that if they persist in their reforms, they will be shunted to the back bench! If all had a more ethical viewpoint (a qualification in Philosophy, BEFORE being allowed into the political arena), that may provide a more balanced outcome.
heath
even if somebody sincerely wishes to change the status-quo,and is voted into politics,the other fat cats make sure they are outnumbered,outvoted and ridiculed..they cant fight the system,so they just go along for the ride,stay in for the requisite term and reap the big superannuation paycheck and perks ..-oh,gee,do i sound a little cynical here?
Anonymous
What one sows one ought to reap. Politicians enter the game for what it provides at retirement as well as all the other known reasons. Let us be careful not to discourage quality participants to run our blessed country.........we deserve only the best.
19chris51
Yes Lynjoy, our retired polies get way too much, let them live on a pension that everyone else does, most pensioners, infact all pnsioners have contributed to our society as much as, and some more then those expolies, give to some. give to all, they were not so great that they deserve more then others, they are just a... holes ( excuse my language)
spabath
All on the right track here. WHEN IT'S OFF WITH THEIR HEADS IT'S OFF WITH THE PERKS.
Anonymous
Upon being fired or quitting my job i don not continue to be paid- why on earth do politician? they get paid more than enough to do the crappy job that they do to start with. This retirement payment should be stopped immediately- for everyone in politics. If you can not use or invest the money you make while in term well enough to survive without working upon "retirement" then tough luck for them. Considering the meal and travel allowances etc that these people receive while in term i think they get paid too much anyway- they are meant to be doing the job for the people- because they want to make Australia a better place, not because they want a ridiculous pay check and perk and they a tax payer funded retirement package. Taking away this payment might even bring forward some people who actually want to be in politics- not just liers and manipulators who are after what they can get.
Anonymous
I agree with this statement that we need to get people into politics on the grass roots level not higly educated people which have degrees and have never worked in the private sector because they dont have the experience .So what do they put their hand up to go into politics and if they are lucky and get in sit on their backsides and do nothing or sit in on a night session and sleep while parliament is meeting and all this we the taxpayers of australia pay them for. F they were out in the private and commercial industries they swould not have a job for long.
As for all their entitlements weshould make them take the same entitlements as a supervisor or manager in the commercial business sectors,After all they are only normal people although some seem to think they are liitle gods and can do anything or nothing and at least 70% of politicians dont listen to what the people are saying and want.they promise things at relection time and when they get in reneg on .Our politicans entitlements are suppose to be the same as the british but i dont think so because this gravy train gets bigger every day
And if the british had what this lots got their would b e massive revolt in england
because you are making them into tin gods
Multismudge
I also agree with your statement. How (if possible) would the people go about making some sort of movement, expressions of interest, :- to get ALL electors and politicians to take notice, "occupy Melbourne" sort of thing or just plain and simple full page ad in newspapers?
DMcF
We don't need an independent review on this; the current politicians in office simply need to rescind ALL entitlements for ex-politicians and for themselves as well, and then put themselves and all other ex-politicians into the exact same sacked, redundant, resigned, or retirement entitlements as all other governmental employees are in. Whether elected in by vote or hired in by civil service, they're all merely employees. Because the elected ones are the ones who set the rules, they need to exercise great care to avoid conflict-of-interest and self-aggrandisement; which is best done by placing themselves onto the exact same entitlements as the people hired into the civil service. If the politicians then want to improve their own lot, they would first have to improve it for the civil servants.
Multismudge
I totally agree! BUT would any-one have the guts, honesty and determination to push it?
Fran
I definately agree with the main sentiment that has been expressed. Politicians should only receive benefits while they are in the job, not when they have been removed by the Aussie public. In what other job do people still receive benefits after they have been fired?
liz
Ex politicians are just that.....EX. Most of them go on to other positions with big incomes and lots of perks. Its grossly unfair that we taxpayers still subsidise their travel and Lord knows what else. Its right that they shouldn't get their superannuation till they are 65, and only whats fair, not great lump sums and extras. Peter Reith and his phone card scandal is an example. he should have been made to reimburse that whole amount. Yes, lets get serious about this, most of them are just out to feather their own nests.
Greek
It is more than time to change and stop these. What other job can you, after 9 years, retire with over $100,000 pension, plus free internal travel and one overseas trip? I am pretty sure these include their spouses. When the Government is slashing jobs left, right and center, then they should put their money where their mouth is, and attack this with a machete.
heath
dead right,and who else but a politician continues to be paid after losing their job?the rest of us retire on a pittance,and they begrudge us a $10.00 fortnight rise,yet look at their yearly increases..make them live on their savings or the aged pension like the rest of us,no more perks,after all they are no longer in politics,and they dont earn what they already get now.
keith
Even the politicians recognised that their benefits were on the nose with taxpayers. The current crop of politicians have reduced benefits and their pensions do not commence until they reach 65
singham
Politicians are beggers. They consume as much as they could while in service and once they are thrown out they expect the Tax Payers to pay them to exist.
They do not render a valuable service to the Taxayers while in service instead sit in parliament, draw fantastic emoluments, enjoy as much as they could. My observation is the politicians should not be paid any entitlement except Travelling,Medicare and funeral expenses.
singham
I really appreciate your comments I said in short and sweet "Beggers" instead of
what you have enlighten word by word. You are well aware what is happening all over the world. Politicians enter the Parliament with false promises sush as I will bring Rice,Gold & Money from the Moon, but the moment they enter the Parliament they forget what they have promised the Countrymen. They concent-rate much in finding where the treasure is in Parliament. In some countries to get the leadership they come out with promises which leads to communal riots and
innocent people get killed. I am now 75 years old and retired existing on a small pension like you. I have learnt good lessons from the politicians and I am well aware what they are upto and how they make money while in service. I agree with you that it is very,very impossible to to exist with the poor pension we are paid. In my case I have to meet the Rent,Electricity,Gas,Groceries,Travelling, Telephone,etc. In my case myself and my wife suffering from Diabetes.Cholestrol
& High Blood Pressure and I am suffering from Polysythemia. We have to purchase medicine which will cost us over $120.00. Just imagine how we could
survive.. I hate politicians because they are the people who let us down. I am
sorry that I was forced to highlite due to the problems I am faced with.I wish to
end up with the words "FACT IS A FACT AND THAT IS A FACT"
Ingi
Politicians are not worth what we pay them, if I had my way, which I have not, they would get a normal pay e.g. $45,000 per annum maybe expenses but certainly not First Class travel, laptops, phones, this and that. They do not sit in Parliament 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, every week for 52 days, like the ordinary worker does. Out of my 49 years of marriage I have worked 45 years, started when the kids were 4 and half when my daughter started Primary school and my son when he was 5. So they were looked after at all times and never, never on their own. We did not have and could not have afforded Child Care like they have nowadays. I got retired against my choice last March working for a company for 37 years, I love working and am now retired, it's not easy to live on the pension of $540 per fortnight and pay the high and higher electricity bills, gas bills, groceries, regos. chemist bills etc. like we all have to do, but GREED is the main downfall of our country, CEO's getting millions in wages, no man on earth is worth that kind of money and our government does nothing about it, do they care? Of course not, they have milked the working people in Australia of millions for what? Having an office in town or city, appearing there only a few days a week, sitting in Parliament for short bursts of childish behaviour, if my children would have acted like Politicians do, either yelling, snoring, yelling, and sleeping in a Parliament session, they would have had a cuff behind their ears or bottom. The Politicians are supposed to be working for US the people not telling us what to do, say, eat, wear etc. they are our workers WE are their employer. Do they ever listen to anything we say? No they are busy fighting amongst themselves, preening themselves, saying how hard they work and what good they are doing. All they know is how to ruin a good country, they give themselves $44,000 a year payrise and we the pensioner got $10 per fortnight for a COUPLE, which is $2.50 a week each, you cannot even buy a loaf of nice bread unless you buy a No Name brand for $1.79. I would not consider Politicians beggers....they are thieves....stealing from the worker and giving it to themselves and overseas. Who gives us money??? Which country that I would like to know? Get back to basics, run the country the good old fashioned way, the last government left this government $26B in the black and it has disappeared in a flash, where? to whom? and why? The Politicians salary and entitlements are over the top. Come down to our level, just a little bit and you will find out how the other half lives.
singham
Politicians are beggers. They consume as much as they could while in service and once they are thrown out they expect the Tax Payers to pay them to exist.
They do not render a valuable service to the Taxayers while in service instead sit in parliament, draw fantastic emoluments, enjoy as much as they could. My observation is the politicians should not be paid any entitlement except Travelling,Medicare and funeral expenses.
Nefertari
This is way way overdue! Why should any politician once he retires from political office be entitled to any sort of a handout at the taxpayers expense? They are paid huge sums.... (huge compared to that of the ordinary working man)...while in office so should not be entitled to any benefits once they leave the job.
Aileeseh
I am with you Lynjoy, it is time for an independent review on their entitlements! Especially when it is coming out tax payers' pockets!