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 :)