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I am saddened by the level of cynicism on this thread about politicians.
I was interested to read an insightful article by Annabel Crabb in the Sydney Morning Herald a month or so ago. Annabel has been a political journo for a number of years, and has many times dumped on the politicians when they deserved it. She loves taking the mickey out of "The Ruddbot" etc, and can be cutting at times. Yet even Annabel, in this article, commented that in her experience (and she know many of the politicians very well) 95% of pollies WERE actually interested in bettering Australia, and had sincere motivations for being in politics.
Like a few others have previously observed, politicians are truly representative of their electorate in that they are flawed like the rest of us. Yes, at times they act with self interest. But they are capable of, and do, often make good decisions too. I have great admiration for a great number of the politicians in our federal parliament.
I think we would get a better calibre of politician if we paid them properly. At present, the average backbencher gets something like $120K per year, plus allowances. When you consider that they could be earning many times more if they used their skills in private enterprise, they are actually making a huge financial sacrifice to be in politics. How is it that we pay our legislators at a level that is less than a mid-management worker in a non-descipt company? You get what you pay for.
We may think is sounds rather cushy to be a politician, but try being away from your family for half the year (while parliament sits). How does working from 7am to 2am the next morning while a complex bill is debated sound? Like the cameras and microphones shoved in your face everywhere you go? Like to have talk back radio discussing how you look in a pair of budgie smugglers?
If the complainers are really serious about improving the world, then how about they put their money and time where their mouths are, and run for the next election.... No, I didn't think so. The real pleasure seems to lie in running others down....
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