It had to happen I knew at the start it would.
Partisan Politics rules and our baseless dislike of and feeling that politicians are useless.
Free Market forces play a roll, so very many who put the boot in to high workers wages are unaware of the theory.
The best, in any endeavor, follow the best wages and conditions.
Let us not over look the truth, Rudd imposed a wage freeze at the emergence of the GFC.
A rise is over due.
If we, some from a deep hole of not understanding, wish our politicians to be paid unskilled workers wages,that is what we will get.

you cant compare a life time pension
compared with multi million wages

lest we forget the jobs for the boys
ensure bigger pay after they go

that and a contacts list..that makes them highly valued for big business seking an in....with govt or public service

the scum takes plenty with them when they go
they instal a new dept..then loot and plunderf it for a long long time

lest we forget the great deal labratters
cut with leasing buldings to govt

or others subdividing land ..or bying back logging/water rights
somewhere in there is scum serving scum...then getting a life time pension plus many board seats and other options.

bah
i feel dirty just thinking about the ignorance
with politics its about power

taxing the meek
while bending over..when the money doth speak

Dear Belly,

Why should politicians be rewarded even further
for simply doing their jobs? They have quite a
lot of perks as it is don't they? I mean look
at the size of their Super - when they leave
politics - and look at other benefits that they
reap along the way. For example - writing books,
speaking engagements, TV interviews, et cetera, and
then they manage to get all sorts of lucrative
offers once they leave politics.
My Goodness do you have any
idea how much we continue to pay and support
our ex- Prime Minsters?

Still I suppose other professions are in the same
boat. A typical teller at a big bank earns less
than 1 per cent of what their boss does.

The people who deliver services to customers, the
people who process important documents, the people
who make sure customers get their loans on time
before a property they want is bought by someone
else, are not being rewarded for the success they
are also contributing to. Or what about nurses
or policemen - do they deserve so much less than
our pollies?

I have said for years that we should be paying higher wages to attract better people.

What we need is for higher wages, bonus opportunities and most importantly, private indemnity insurance.

At least then we may attract high profile pollies.

It is not that politician's wages need to be raised to compete with the private sector, but that private sector salaries are too high. It is that old wage disparity thing again.

Politician's wages are paid out of taxes not out of profits of the sale of goods and that there is some expectation of representation of the citizenry ie. a public 'service'. Many political careers lead to greater career advantages post retirement from political life.

That said, however I do believe that politicians should be paid fairly to compensate for the long hours. For example I cannot see how the Governor of the Reserve Bank should be on more than the PM.

On top of wages members of parliament and their family members are also receive other allowances to cover costs of servicing electorates and attending parliament each week.

The calibre of many CEOs is already proof enough that higher pay does not necessarily mean high standards. In fact many who believe in service based work are equally if not more possessed of a strong work ethic and results based culture.

I under stand much of what I say is unwelcome.
That I farm dislike and miss under standings.
But this post touches on a truly held belief.
One that I have always held.
Australians are fickle in matters of politics.
And not those who take the trouble to be informed we do but most do not know much about the subject.
On little substance [remember I talk of EVERY SIDE] we love dislike or blame them for every thing.
Enough of us fell in love with Howard's strengths to keep him in power till he died,if not for work choices.
The rest of us hated him.
The flying peanut Joe,the same, but the rest of us regarded him as a silly old fool! front man for others!
Bob, Hawky, well he settled fights in the industrial arena just as both sides ran out of puff!
We loved him!
Kevin!
We love or hate our leaders, put the blame for every thing on them.
Its true,some blame them for daylight saving fading the curtains, I think that one posts here.
We see both party's elect local members who are like film stars, if we want to we can see them every place.
My party has to have certain numbers of women,the other side has some great scon cooking future CWA leaders.
But we should look into a mirror.
It is us who put them there.
Us who insist they cut tax's raise allowances spend big cut costs .
Why do we not care the bloke running the footy show foot in mouth mostly is getting twice our Polly's pay.
How can we ask a skilled and bright person to take his/her future and say I will forget my financial I want to go broke while serving.