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.

Politicians are elected to represent the best interest of the majority of people. If we treated treat them as business executives, taking into account the level of responsibility they undertake, the complexities of ethical dilemma's they must encounter daily and just the sheer numbers of "customers" i.e "citizens" they have to service, we are already underpaying them. It seems to me that the only people who feel the need to discuss wether politicians are overpaid are those who have very low levels of responsibility and lack the experience in understanding the weight that real obligation and intense burden of responsibility carries.

Folks, there's a solution, it's not mine, I read it somewhere so can't claim originality.
It goes like this; Every week we have a lottery and the winner is decided by drawing numbers out of a hat.
This will appeal to the Liberals as they sent young lads off to war by using this method, it will appeal to Labor 'cause they have traditionally liked a gamble.
The numbers could be Tax File numbers, that way we draw upon the providers of the nation.
Every week there is a prize of $10,000,000. Half to be retained by the Commonwealth and invested on behalf of the winner to provide for retirement.

At the end of four years we'd have 208 winners; these would become the next Parliament. Now we wouldn't have to pay them, they'd need no superannuation, so there is a huge saving to start.

You might object that this system wouldn't get us the cleverest people in government...we don't get them now.
We wouldn't get the most honest...we don't now.
The most moral... I'm sure you get the picture.

The overwhelming advantage of this New System is that we'd get the LUCKY ONES, so we'd have to be ahead.

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

So those who recognise making money to be of little importance, they aren't smart?

Is it really that naive of me to believe that there are people who appreciate the value of doing good over making money?

Spendocrat,

I have always been of the opinion that politicians, including the ones on the front bench and Prime Minister, should not have special treatment such as being driven around in expensive, pollutive cars by chauffeurs you and I have to pay for and enjoy very generous superannuation packets while the pension of elderly people is not sufficient enough for them to buy a set of false teeth.

There is no good reason why they should not have to catch public transport to and from work and pay for their ticket as well.
And why do they have to fly around the country unnecessarily in private jets?

It should be compulsory for them to place their kids in public schools and to use the public health system including the failing dental health system.

I strongly believe that only then will public services significantly improve.

I'd like to be a bit more generous with their salaries though- they should earn according to their responsibility and hours they put in. Reasonable wages like people earn in any other executive or responsible job would still seem attractive enough for someone to want to do this job.

Perhaps politicians in power should have a basic wage, but have the opportunity to be awarded bonusus for projects that they finished successfully.

They've got to earn the high wages they want by doing something positive, not for just making empty promises.

Ok, so perhaps my salary amount was too modest. Double it, the sentiment remains the same I think.

Maybe performance based pay is the answer. I know my local member (Fairfax electorate) would starve :)

And I am quite sure that if people didn't threaten politician's (and their families) with physical violence; insisting that the politicians familiarise themselves with public transport and the general state facilities would be a great way to teach them about unmet needs. But we are living in dangerous times, where racial violence is considered legitimate political action. For some people, it has become too dangerous to even walk down a street that is too far away from home.

Spendocrat,
"Ok, so perhaps my salary amount was too modest. Double it, the sentiment remains the same I think."
OK, then they have only themselves to blame if they don't deserve their bonuses.

Steve,
"Maybe performance based pay is the answer. I know my local member (Fairfax electorate) would starve :)"
Hahaha we'll end up with our MP's living in third world conditions.

Perhaps politicians need only to be a pawn to act out what the public wants.
If there was a system that listed all the different topics, the public could discuss them first and then decide what they want and vote- the task of the politicians would just be to act upon our wishes.

There is a party in Holland, called IPNL (internet party nederland) now (it's a world premier) which discusses a different topic every week. Politicians could be involved in the discussion as part of their job to inform people, to give suggestions, alternatives etc.

People can discuss it first (much like as we do on OLO), read what the politicians are suggesting, make up their minds about the issue and at the end of the week there's a poll.
According to the votes, politicians have to get into action to obey the wishes of the public.
Sounds OK to me.
It's a new party, so they don't have any seats yet, and of course there's no experience of how it's going to work, but I suppose the idea is workable. (especially if politicians are able to earn a bonus).

The only problem I can see ATM might be corruption- like messing with the votes. But the system we have now is not without corruption either.

Also, people would have to have time and access to the internet to be involved in the discussion.
I'm sure solutions will be found for this problem as well- perhaps updated by the media could be given and people could vote by telephone by giving a security numer or tax file number or something.

Spendocrat, the only honest politician is one who when bought stays bought. The idea of limiting wage is a great one, but as already highlighted, terribly impractical.

Enforcing other limitations on their lifestyles is far more likely to achieve something. Rather than having inner city traffic brought to a standstill so these toffeenoses can be driven through unimpeded, quite rightly make them catch trains and buses--"all stops" trains and buses.

To limit their squandering of our funds on alcohol, take away their drivers.

It doesn't matter whether they pay high-priced medical insurance or not, because "public medical care" should be compulsory.

I think you see where I'm going here...

Anyone who is working for me to make our country better ought to be well paid. They are doing a very important job.

What I want to see cut out is the crap that we get in parliament. It is just disgusting that our leaders are the worst verbal abusers in the land.

They don't deserve respect until they can show each other respect and decency!