It is nonsense to say that welfare and dole rorters should be allowed to keep their ill-gotten gains; it is even sillier to suggest that politicians are going to cut their own wages. The cuts have to start with the total removal of money handed out to climate change frauds and rent-seekers in the doolally renewable energy rackets, followed closely by foreign aid, high immigration, and providing for useless, fraudulent 'refugees'. Stupid 'deradicalisation' programs are also on the list, as is membership of the world dictatorship, the United Nations. There are thousands of useless, Nanby-pamby things, which have no benefit for Australia, that could be cut immediately.

I can agree with most of this. And it does seem counter intuitive spending millions chasing thousands and thousands chasing millions?

As for your remarks on the need for tax reform I also agree and direct your to Graham's blog on the pamphlet saga' And Alan B. Goulding's contribution; as somewhat off topic, but specific to possible tax reform?

And given the deputy P.M. and National Party Leader is also a CPA, and as have many party members and officials, has many friends inside the industry?

Good luck with any part of that Mr Goulding or that trickle down economics will miraculously; be more successful here than in britain or the self evident home of crony capitalism, pre Great Depression America?

The answer my friends is blowing in the wind or cast as pearls before swine? Simply put, no one with the power to implement real change we can all believe in is listening? And just focusing on shoring up position, privilege and the "ENTITLEMENTS" of office?
Alan B.

Only someone who's math never went past primary school could write such a fool article.

While I am sure there are a few millions of waste that could be cut from expenditure in parliament house, & indeed in Canberra, this is just pocket money compared to the billions wasted on welfare cheats, unwanted immigrants, & academia.

It is unfortunately typical that the type of people who study political so called science, & the humanities that combined they could not make change for a bus ticket. This leads to a class that often have more say than most, who have no idea of the effect of their whish list of policies.

I do worry for my grand kids future with these fools from cloud cuckoo land calling the shots.

You were doing OK until you mentioned "climate change"

Then you lost me...

If anthropogenic climate change is happening at all, then every human alive is 'contributing' to it, merely by breathing. Stop government grants to corporations if you like; but if you want to apply criteria, let it be their usefulness and the long-term value of their work, not their willingness to comply with the dogmas of the newest and most intolerant religion.

Innovation and jobs.

I wish some of the know-it-alls making comments on here could explain how newstart recipients are ripping of the system and thus forcing the government to moan n' groan about how evil welfare recipients are?

A little research will enlighten them that regular evidence of job seeking efforts must be presented to the recipients nominated employment agency otherwise benefits will be cut.

Also, lets not forget the plethora of identification protocols and procedures one must go through in order to lawfully claim benefits at all, thus minimising fraudulent claims in the first place.

Or is this just another flame feast of dogmatic comments lobbying newstart recipients as "dole bludgers" AGAIN!

I heartily agree with the author - a majority of politicians in Australia deserve to viewed as sadly lacking in a number of areas including being overpaid for what they actually contribute to the social fabric of Australia by largely self-interested agendas. The sooner pig trough perks are dried up the earlier the 'average' elector may slowly have some small measure of respect for them as a class.
The old adage reminds us 'Whoever you vote for you will get a politician!' This in itself reflects that what should be the highest ethical office in the nation has become sullied to be synonymous with the less trustworthy occupations of societies. A person's word should be their bond - it would be a miracle if politicians were made fully accountable by them voting for complementary changes in legislation to enforce this.

When it comes to welfare, we need a thorough investigation of the privatised human resources firms who are contracted to supposedly police the welfare system. A friend of mine, who works in the privatised welfare industry, writes about three reports per week to assess the employability of welfare recipients. She receives $1200 per report, for about one hour's work each.

My son, who went on Newstart allowance after finishing his degree, attended such a session. After filling in a form and attending a compulsory interview, he was advised on how to complete a CV (which he knew already) and that he had a high employability rating (which he knew already). When he asked if she could help him to contact prospective employers in his field, he was told that this was not her job.

So what was the point of the interview? Nothing, other than to fill her quota and receive her privatised funding for interviewing welfare recipients.

Isn't it time for the public to know what the national welfare budget is really being spent on? I've tried repeatedly to find this out, but the annual $120 billion welfare budget figures never provide this breakdown. I wonder why.