"So why shouldn’t she look smug? She is laughing all the way to the Bank"

Smug too that her superannuation is indexed against average weekly earnings. Which is a right that she has denied to the military and public servants, whose superannuation is linked to the discounted CPI, ensuring that the value of the superannuation they paid for is constantly being eroded by inflation.

Dear Individual,

You asked, "How can you entertain the idea of comparing
the carbon emissions of the US with ours?"

I'm not comparing their carbon emissions with ours
but simply pointing out that we are not alone in
putting in place a market-based mechanism to deal
with carbon emissions. President Obama has seen the
wisdom of investing in clean energy which our government
has already wisely done.

As for blaming the PM on salary increases? Federal MP's were
all given pay rises - not just the PM.
And Mr Abbott strongly defended the
increases in MP salaries saying he's "working hard for evry
Australian." He also stated that there wasn't a good time
for pollies to receive pay increases. But that it had to be
done.

We all want our lives to be made easier not harder don't we?
That's a judgement call that
voters will have to make at the next election.
Whether a change of government will make their lives easier
or harder.

Mr Abbott strongly defended the increases in MP salaries.
Lexi,
That doesn't make it moral. All our bureaucrats should get at least a 10% pay cut or at least a wages freeze for the next two terms of federal Government.

Dear Individual,

Do you really see that happening - no matter who's
in government? I don't!

cont'd ...

The following website may be of interest:

http://thinkinghard.com/politics/WhyPoliticiansHaveToLie.html

One cannot defend one's preferred party by saying that others do the same. That becomes a case of heads your team wins and tails they win also.

It is impossible to hold politicians to account, where brand 'loyalty' fogs glasses.

It is a bit rich isn't it for the Okker PM to get more pay than the US President and the British PM?

It was a bit much for opposition shadow ministers to get 20X the 3% pay rise offered to other workers and other pollies to get 10X the 3% given to workers.

No chance of Julia directing the same tribunal reconsidering pensions?