Unfortunately as far as Australia is concerned, if we were to increase our pay rates for politicians, it would only encourage corrupt people motivated by pay.
And I should point out that the existing bunch of clowns we currently have aren't exactly going to be motivated to leave once they recieve a pay rise are they?

5 good reasons they all deserve a paycut
have you read this from sortos
http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/content/2011/s3332326.htm

this is also worth reading
http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/content/2011/s3332317.htm

http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/content/2011/s3332316.htm

this too
http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/content/2011/s3332322.htm

the last one is huge
each topic is worth its own thread

lateline has done some good stuff lately
http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/

if you didnt watch
read the transcripts and weep

Belly, you make me laugh at times, especially in the way you cry foul all the time and take things so personally.

We care witnessing a huge change in how our country operates.

20 years ago it was many peoples dream to own their own business.

Ten good years set you up for life, then came the labor government and thier revamped IR laws, the most damaging being UFD.

You see 20 years ago, if you were useless you lost your job.

Also, if you had limited or no skills you either went without, or, you worked lots of hours in order to afford what the jones had.

Not any more!

These days workers in low skilled areas want to support their life styles on minimal hours and that's where the problem lies.

Don't believe me, watch this space as there re very few budding small business people coming up through the ranks.

Now there as some reprieve while the howard gov was in power and, while I accept the WC may have gone to far, life for the majority was great.

So labor was either voted in in 07 by the low skilled or, those on easy street decided it was time for a change. I bet they wished they had not done that now.

History will so that Howard moved mountains and labor has been a dud.

Stay with me a purpose exists to stray but it will take us back on subject.
I have started a few threads about corruption in Australia and the construction industry.
Here is one of them,an ex union secretary, left extremist, owns a Labour hire firm.
He wins contracts including government ones with a bag filled with gifts and cash, and under pays his workers.
He tried getting me sacked for banning him, often,
In fact blue collar workers to company heads get cash and kind kick backs,some 30 years old started with nothing own clear 5 houses.
2 years ago state rail was uncovered here in NSW for millions of dollars in fraud.
Family members got contracts and paid, for work never done, millions of dollars.
Reserve bank is currently being white washed,that is always the outcome for some of its top folk bribing millions again involved.
NSW ICAC is now uncovering multi millions of dollars lost from over 100 government and local government instrumentality's.
IF ONLY! if only my true honest claims again the NSW RTA had not been white washed!
That group time and again sold its workforce out TO CONTRACTORS.
Those contractors, are the very heart of OFarrell current problems with the public sector.
Cutting those jobs,giving the work to contractors was public servants way to cut costs.
How much was paid to who, including former union spokesmen now employed by them?
Cost cutting ? price rose 21%!
Poor politics is a separate subject to poor pay, how do they stack up to other country's?

Dear rehctub,

History has actually shown the opposite to be true.

Do some research on the subject.

History has actually shown the opposite to be true.
Lexi,
how so ? any examples ?