Pollies Pay rise

Hagar (Doug) · #1 01-10-2011, 09:21 AM

What are your thoughts on this. Lets keep it away from party politics and policies.

My thoughts: After having been involved in several EBA negotiations over my 40 years with the company I work for I find the thought of doubling pollies pay packet is almost offencive.
Yes some allowances/perks will be forfieted to get this pay rise but from what I have read so far it will still be quite a significant increase.

We live in communities and States where our emergency services are now struggling to even keep pace with inflation and the same said pollies are saying no to these guy's who provide us with a true service. This cannot be said for some pollies or their enterages. Most are being offered increases of around 2.5% while even with the reduction in perks an increase of approx 50% (Quick work out)is what is being requested by these greedy pollies.

The big win seems to be the increase in superanuation for them all. Currently perks are not included in the super calculations but an increase in base salary will lift super to new levels.

The other annoying thing that seems to be stated a lot in the media is the old saying, "Pay peanuts, get monkeys" As it stands now we are not paying peanuts if you compare salaries with working class Australia but we still get monkeys. Not really they are a very smart bunch who look after themselves very well.
An example of this was the superanuation tax which was payed on all company payed in super if you earned more than $70000 pa. The funny thing or should I say rude part of this legislation was that our pollies were exempt from paying this tax. Lots of other examples of this and Fringe benifit tax rules leave pollies perks free from tax of any kind.

To say that inreasing pollies salaries will intice better people to take on the roll is also quite untrue. Increasing salaries by ten fold would struggle to get industry giants to walk away from their high payed positions. In political circles it is more the position than the salary which entices them to the position.

Just my thoughts of course. Somewhat cinical but how I feel about the whole situation.

AGAIN, TRY AND KEEP IT AWAY FROM PARTY LEVEL POLITICS and we might get some interesting comments without the thread being closed very quickly.

strongmanmike (Michael) · #2 01-10-2011, 09:40 AM

Most people have no idea what a politician (and their staff) does day to day, week to week, or what's involved in running an electrate office that serves 90 000 constituents or even what an electorate office does, let alone a minister or shadow minister, so they are simply not in a position or qualified to judge salary justifications.

Good luck to'em I say and putting aside policy view differences it's obvious most work very hard so probably deserve it

Mike

TrevorW · #3 01-10-2011, 10:17 AM

I work for the Govt and work with a lot of highly paid (underworked) PS ass lickers who are only interested in accumulating enough wealth to retire on and woe betold someone who may want to rock the boat by coming up with an original idea that may save tax payers money.

Take it from me they've got no ones interest but their own at heart and anything they may do for the electorate is to ensure they get re-elected and they'll bend and twist their own rules to suit.

I have no respect what so ever for politicians and the ones who I have had end up losing respect for the institution they'd joined with the illusion they'd make a difference but all to often remove themselves from the public eye very quickly when they realise they won't.

No unfortunately it's all to easy when everyone else has to accept CPI increases that pollies can can up with ways of doubling their pay packets and blinding us with the illusion that this will be acheived by curtailing expenditure elsewhere.

Stuff em I say

casstony · #4 01-10-2011, 10:37 AM

I don't see how we can get people with both moral integrity and economic talent into high level politics given that you have to be a nasty piece of work to survive; according to past performance they're going to stuff things up anyway so they don't deserve any more pay.

jenchris (Jennifer) · #5 01-10-2011, 11:36 AM

Well I think the pay and super should be tied to performance.
Bad boy? withdraw super -
Insider trading? - lose job and super.
Corrupt? - sack, lose pay super and go to prison
Sent from the house for bad conduct? - no pay for that week.
Drunk driving? - fined $10,000 - treat them like footy stars and 'role models'

We can give them pay rises then and catch them at anything we like, (because we all know they do all of the above).... they'll never get their pensions!!

pgc hunter · #6 01-10-2011, 11:38 AM

What most pollies in this country deserve is to have 100% of their pay packets flushed down the toilet. The fact that these manky pigs double their already substantial pay packets (lets not forget the endless taxpayer funded perks) while we have pensioners and war veterans for example having to shut off their heating to be able to keep the roof over their heads is corruption in itself.

By the way, I hate the term "Pollie" .... too cute a term for what is a very un-cute evil.

Kevnool (Kev) · #7 01-10-2011, 11:47 AM

Very good comments here.

Well i got have a 2.5% pay rise and let me tell ya i am over the mooooon.

Nothing like a pay rise to lift the salary.

And backdated to the first of July

I am full of cheers

Hagar (Doug) · #8 01-10-2011, 12:03 PM

POLLIE, something that sits as a dead weight on your shoulders, craps on you regularly and just repeats everything someone else says.

Pretty apt description if you ask me.

Also I have a good friend who was a Federal Senator for 3 terms and I can tell you his benifits far outweigh the salary he was on. He also managed to set up a good business with the Chinese on one or more of his political trips while in Government. I could fill several pages with the perks of office some of which are continuing even after retirement. No matter what party they all do and get the same. We as tax payers fund all of this so why shouldn't we have a say in their pay packets. As a share holder of any company we have a right to comment on salary. Polititions as public servants should be no different. Give them an hourly wage tied to justifiable productivity targets and some would owe us money.

Alchemy (Clive) · #9 01-10-2011, 12:24 PM

Sadly politicians of all persuasions don't have the respect of the people.
They promise then don't deliver, they behave like children in the parliament discussion times, they play with words to deceive, run around trying to please minorities when they should represent the majority,

The country needs people who can lead with honor, respect and integrity, not political correctness gone mad.

Whilst they work they should be well paid, when their term ends so do the perks, it shouldn't go on for a lifetime.

Peter Ward · #10 01-10-2011, 01:13 PM

Sadly most Oz pollies tow the party line rather than represent their consitiuents.

For that reason alone they are not worth a cracker IMHO...let alone the whole box-full they currently have their beaks into.

It is also a case of "we get the politicians we deserve"....lets face it most Aussies are apathetic when it comes to politics... and rarely... if ever... write or see their local member.

PCH (Paul) · #11 01-10-2011, 01:34 PM

Well I feel very strongly about this, but after reading peoples' thoughts, I couldn't have put it better than Clive. My hat off to you sir - well put

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alchemy

Sadly politicians of all persuasions don't have the respect of the people.
They promise then don't deliver, they behave like children in the parliament discussion times, they play with words to deceive, run around trying to please minorities when they should represent the majority,

The country needs people who can lead with honor, respect and integrity, not political correctness gone mad.

Whilst they work they should be well paid, when their term ends so do the perks, it shouldn't go on for a lifetime.

Hans Tucker (Hans) · #12 01-10-2011, 04:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Peter Ward

It is also a case of "we get the politicians we deserve"....lets face it most Aussies are apathetic when it comes to politics... and rarely... if ever... write or see their local member.

Spot on here. I always thought that it was odd that the Prime Minister earns less than some of the CEO's running a company or a sports club. If raising the salary will attract the right person for the job that is alright in my view, but we all know that ideal is a fairy land one when it comes to politics.

Jules76 (Julian) · #13 01-10-2011, 04:46 PM

I'm not too concerned with the amount of money they earn, it's more the perks they get after retiring. I'd love to be able to leave a job and still have the company pay my super etc.

But if you want to have a go at disproportionate wages, look no further to the fat cats who run the companies which employ you and I. Politicians get chicken feed in comparison to CEO's and Company Directors, and they are the one's who are paying you a paulty wage in return for the hard work you do.

joe_smith · #14 01-10-2011, 04:57 PM

If you don't like what the government and big business are doing and acting. if you hate higher power bills higher, fuel costs then act on it. Don't sit back and and just shake your head. We the people can change the status quo we just have to getup and make a noise. It dosent mater what party you follow, if you think one is wrong and the other right, in a sinking ship WE all go down. just remember when you vote the puppet changes but the hand is still the same.

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has. - Margaret Mead

space oddity · #15 01-10-2011, 05:43 PM

I think it is fair to have a higher salary on the condition they do what they are paid for. The generous retirement packages though should be reduced accordingly to closer to more normal conditions, although considering they invariably have relatively short working lives, the super should be a bit more generous than standard rules. Pollies caught acting corruptly should definately lose most of their salary, all of their retirement package and their freedom(shove them in jail.)
Acts of treason should incur loss of head. It is absurd that some moderately senior bureaucrats receive a higher salary than the PM. Mind you, in regard to the PM,see above penalty for her current behavior .
As previously noted, the behavior of a lot of our pollies at the moment will result in a lower wages bill if we enact the above conditions

FlashDrive (Poppy) · #16 01-10-2011, 06:46 PM

Where are the " Statesman " that used to run this country .... men who had integrity .. backbone ...fortitude .. etc.

I don't see any today ... just pollies with their own ' wish " list to line their own pockets.

Pay them by their " performance " .... I say ... and see how long they stay.

Flash

AndrewJ · #17 01-10-2011, 07:10 PM

Quote:

although considering they invariably have relatively short working lives, the super should be a bit more generous than standard rules

That used to be a reason given when most other people had relatively secure jobs and pollies didn't.
Given pretty much everyone is now on limited tenure jobs, and most pollies dont have too hard a time getting another job, i reckon its fair to pay em a fair bit more whilst they are in,
BUT,
1) that salary includes the std super everyone else deals with
2) they get the option on what "commercial" fund to put it in.
No more unlimited guaranteed by the public, indexed fund only for them.
3) No more perks after leaving office,
4) they cant touch their super till the age the rest of us can.

Wonder how long it would be before they started looking at the way
super works.

Andrew

tlgerdes (Trevor) · #18 01-10-2011, 07:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FlashDrive

Where are the " Statesman " that used to run this country .... men who had integrity .. backbone ...fortitude .. etc.

Flash

We voted them out because they weren't cool rockstar types.

Rodstar (Rod) · #19 01-10-2011, 09:31 PM

You get what you pay for.....hopefully with better wages we will get a better quality of politician.

Politicians are paid peanuts compared with comparable positions in private industry.Their "perks" are a drop in the bucket compared with what successful people in private industry earn.

I recall speaking with a successful person in my industry (legal) who had been approached to go into state politics. He was struggling with the reality that he would be taking a huge pay cut to go into politics. It was too big a drop for him to bear, and in the end he decided against it.

I understand for many people the wages talked about seem big. They are not. I practice mainly in employment law...I see hundreds of employment contracts, and I am aware of the sorts of wages people command. A middle ranking person in marketing earning $150K per year plus super. How can that position be comparable to representing an electorate of 100,000 people?

Our parliament is meant to be comprised of our leaders. Let's pay them accordingly, and hopefully we will draw some appropriate talent.

FlashDrive (Poppy) · #20 01-10-2011, 09:44 PM

[QUOTE=Rodstar;770374

Our parliament is meant to be comprised of our leaders. Let's pay them accordingly, and hopefully we will draw some appropriate talent.[/QUOTE]

There in lies the problem .... we are not getting " leaders " nor the real " talent " that's desperately needed. Talk to any " unemployed " or " elderly " person ... or any " average " jo blow on the street ... and they will tell you the same....!!!

It's a shame isn't it.

Flash.