Today I would like to highlight the inequities between bureaucratic fatcat pay packets, and the inability, or unwillingness of our 'elected' officials to ensure all Australians are earning enough to stay above the poverty line.
MP Payrise
On June 22, 2017, Federal Members of Parliament and top paid public servants, received pay rises again. They have also been made to be exempted from the 'compulsory 2% deficit tax' that Australians pay. That equates to a 4% pay rise for all politicians in Federal parliament. The determination of pay increases is determined by the Remuneration Tribunal.
Remuneration Tribunal
The Remuneration Tribunal is an independent statutory authority established under the Remuneration Tribunal Act 1973. The Tribunal consists of three part-time members appointed by the Governor-General.
The Tribunal's role is to determine, report on or provide advice about remuneration, including allowances and entitlements that are within its jurisdiction for the following:
- federal Parliamentarians, including Ministers and Parliamentary office holders
- judicial and non-judicial offices of federal courts and tribunals
- Secretaries of Departments
- full-time and part-time holders of various public offices
- Principal Executive Offices
The three members of the tribunal are high-paid executives from large companies found here in Australia with no real connection to everyday 'battlers".
What really irks me is that once the tribunal hands down its findings, the parliament has to vote on whether to accept the pay rise for members. There has never been a pay rise voted down in parliament, for obvious reasons.
Now I don't begrudge any hardworking Australian a pay rise, I don't, however, I do not see the need for millions of dollars in taxpayers money to be given to MP's every 12 months or so as a pay rise.
Our bureaucrats are also some of the highest paid in the world and they too will receive a healthy increase in their pay packets from 1st July this year.
'Australia has some of the highest paid bureaucrats in the world earning salaries two or three times their US and UK counterparts,' executive director Tim Andrews told News Corp.
SourceIt defies belief, then, why they are also awarded pay rises over and beyond those that normal aussies currently receive. The Prime Ministers increase in pay alone, is more than half of the current minimum wage of $36,134 which 2.3 million Australians currently earn. Thats a new car every year from one pay increase.
All of this when the country has a public net debt of $320 billion dollars.
The government has then started cutting benefits to some of the most neediest people in an attempt to stifle the public debt, yet will readily accept a significant pay rise when it comes their way.
Currently, in Australia, approximately:
- 13.0% of Australians live in poverty (2.86 million).
- 2.9% of children live in poverty.
- 6.8% of single parent families live in poverty.
How can we ethically stand for huge increases in pay packets, when there are a significant proportion of the Australian population out there suffering from day -to-day. How are these inequities fair for everyday, hard-working Australians?
Government Spending on Ex-Politicians
- Five former prime ministers - not including Tony Abbott - had taxpayers shell out for about $440,000 worth of expenses between June and December 2016.
- Former MPs used the Life Gold Pass to rack up about $115,000 worth of domestic flights during the same six months.
These people no longer even serve our country as members of parliament. They no longer make decisions as to the direction of our country (apart from the current sitting members) and they still receive taxpayers money for their expenses. In what other commercial venture does this happen? Why do I not still receive benefits from a former employer who I worked for for over 10 years. This is ridiculous and embarrassing.
MP Benefits
As always, serving MPs claimed tens of millions from the taxpayer for domestic and overseas travel, allowances and office facilities.
Overseas Travel
- Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull = $500,000 on overseas travel
- Trade Minister Steve Ciobo = $417,000
- Foreign Minister Julie Bishop = $300,000
Phone and Internet Bills
Government frontbencher Dan Tehan = $12,000
Stuart Robert - $10,000 (my local elected member)
Charter Flights
Nigel Scullion (NT MP) = $79,000
Barnaby Joyce = $61,000
Bob Katter = $61,000 apiece
Sussan Ley = $50,000
Why can't MP's take commercial flights like normal Australian workers do?
The Department of Finance also spent $2.1 million renovating and moving MPs' offices.
Source
All of these figures can be accessed publicly through the Department of Finance's MP Expenses report. In an attempt to try and make expenses reporting more transparent, departmental expenses reporting will move to the government's new Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority.
How do we stop this?
The only way to address this continued belligerence against the taxpayer is for the nation to change its voting ways. No longer can we have a 2 party controlled state. The Labor and Liberal/National Parties no longer understand what the average Australian person wants or needs. Most politicians graduate through the young liberals program or through Union affiliation and have no real-world experience of the Australian landscape and average battler.
Its time for change. We need to react and send a clear message that unnecessary pay-rises, exorbitant MP benefits and the continuation of ex-MP benefits has to stop. The only way we can do this is to change our voting habits.
Voting
Most Australians, head to the voting polls for one reason.... They have to by law.
Unlike the American system, where those who actually care and want to vote, Australians trudge to the polls with the ringings of the latest scare campaign or tactic ringing in their ears and place a 1 next to the party they 'think' might do something for them over the next few years.
Most do not actually know the names of the candidates they are voting for or the policies of the parties they represent.
Scare Campaigns
A great example of this was the 'Children Overboard Affair' leading up to a Federal election in 2001. Government ministers alleged that seafaring asylum seekers had thrown children overboard in a presumed ploy to secure rescue and passage to Australia. The government then used this as a political game to 'flex' their muscle in the border protection stakes and this resulted in a stronger majority in government after the 2001 election.
Source
In actual fact, the majority of illegal immigrants arrive by plane, not by boat. The majority of people arriving in Australia by boat are genuine asylum seekers and the fact that the government of the day used the might of mainstream media to win over voters using this issue as their main platform, shows how easily led voters in this country are.
It is important that, before any election, we spend the time to investigate the candidates that we are voting for. What are their policies? What do they stand for? What are their backgrounds? Do they have a standing that looks beyond a 4 year electoral term?
Don't just choose a candidate because they are Labor or Liberal or because your Dad is a Labor man and so are you. Choose them because you believe that they will deliver the best option for your community and family. How many of you can say that you really know what the main parties policies will deliver for you as an Australian voter?
If you don't have the time or will to do this, then don't vote. And herein lies the dilemma with a compulsory voting system.
Unless we act as a people, politicians will continue to walk all over the blindly led Australian population and continue to 'rort' the system that is currently in place.
We have the power, let's do something about it. This is a call to arms for all Australians. Let's start here with #teamaustralia. Don't continue to bury your heads in the sand, stand up and take a stance, one vote at a time.
What do you think?
Thanks for reading.
