Every single politician should be made to take a vow of poverty.

Let's say...maximum wage 40k per year and that's it, no exceptions (hey, I get by on that much just fine). If they don't like it, then they're obviously in the wrong line of work, because they're meant to be working for their country - not themselves.

If they get sick, they better be damn sure the public health system is in order. Having kids? Public schools better be up to scratch. Buying a house? Catching the train? And so on.

A simple and logical solution to BS like that Santoro thing, yeah? Or am I missing something here?

Sorry man, you are totally missing something here.

The quickest way to breed corruption in public servants (especially politicians) is to underpay them so badly that they seek an alternative (probably illegal) income, especially if there is a cap on their declared legal income. The Santoro thing is just about inappropriate share holdings and investments, an age old problem dating back to ancient Roman days. But if you massively underpay them, just watch them jump into the pockets of people that promise to pay them after they leave office, or through invisible offshore accounts.

I think you have both missed the issue and that is even these grubs at the top of the food chain are answerable under the Commonwealth Criminal Code Act 1995 and as the not so honourable Senator had been given notice about any conflict of interst, that he did intend to gain a finantial benifit from, until he was caught, it only requires somebody to swear the complaint and pay the filing fees.
Then you will see how the State judiciary, with the assistance of the Commonwealth Solicitor General, protect these vile thieveing grubs as they are all working together to defraud all of us. We pay taxes allegdly to pay these criminals and they are expected to comply with the law just like you and me. I hope they eventually jail the grub along with the fraudsters in Western Australia and AWB but I wont be holding my breath.

I guess we can admit that they're (almost) all a bunch of parasites, but hands up here who wants to do away with them permanently (because I suspect their replacements would stay honest for all of two seconds)? Every time I'm silly enough to mention libertarianism, I get shot down.

Okay, so hands up here who wants to be a really active and vigilant citizen? Not enough time on the planet I hear, amongst other excuses.

Alright then, how about we treat politics like any other business and expect to get a service or product in line with what we pay? I see two problems with the Australian electorate on this issue. The first is that the national psyche seems to be that we want First World services on Third World funding. Basically, we don't want to go the user pays route, but then we complain about paying too much tax. Sorry, was that my cake I just ate? I wanted to have it too. The second is that people don't seem to learn from their mistakes. People keep switching back and forth between the Coalition and the ALP, but they never seem to get a case of deja vu.

I'm not entirely sure what Australians want, other than to whinge a lot.

"But if you massively underpay them, just watch them jump into the pockets of people that promise to pay them after they leave office, or through invisible offshore accounts."

Heh, like that isn't happening anyway. But in my hypothetical I'm saying an absolute vow, for the rest of your life - obviously they would have to make transparent their comings and goings, and there would be a very close eye on them all the time. And, perhaps, massive penalties for breaking the vow. I don't think it's that silly an idea.

One of the main problems I see is that you'll end up with a lot of misguided idiots running the country.

The smart people won't want to work for peanuts and cop abuse anyway.