According to news reports Victorian politicians
are expected to give themselves generous pay rises
under legislation introduced to Parliament.

We're told that, "New MPs will also get a better
Superannuation deal under big changes to parliamentary
salaries and allowances."

"The bipartisan legislation proposes increasing backbenchers'
wages by 8% and a 15% increase for Shadow Ministers and the
Opposition Leader. Ministers and the Premier would get a 2.5%
pay rise. The budget for the Opposition Leader would also
increase by $500,000 a year, to $2 million dollars."

We're told that, "Salaries for MPs who entered Parliament
after 2004 would increase from 9% to 15% in line with
Federal arrangements."

In exchange for the changes MPs would lose some allowances,
including free parking at the airport and free inter-state
rail travel.

The base salary for a State MP is $137,000.

The Federal MPs last year received a $50,000 increase.

We're seeing cuts to TAFE, emergency services, firefighters
are struggling as are teachers and yet we have politicians
awarding themselves pay increases.

Is this justified? What do posters think?

Is this justified? What do posters think?
Lexi,
I think it outright disgusting & immoral. This is yet another big dent in my support for the Coalition if they go ahead with it. Are they trying to emulate Labor ? I would like to see Clive Palmer's reply to that.

I think Lexi, with all due respect, acknowledging your right to post such stuff, accepting your prior balance and traditional moderation, not to mention the respect you demonstrate to other posters, this is an outrageous dog whistle to those who base their ideology on envy.

This is not the Lexi I have come to respect.

Sorry but I expect much, much more from you

Dear spindoc,

I'm sorry if I have somehow disappointed you by simply
quoting facts that have been in all our newspapers here
in Victoria. Victoria at present is being hit by
all sorts of cuts. Seeing as this is a forum on social
and political debate - and the government cuts are effecting
so many Victorians I thought that this topic would be an appropriate
one for discussion.

However if you feel so strongly - you are under no obligation
to contribute to this discussion.

cont'd ...

I feel so sorry for people like ambulance drivers,
paramedics, nurses, fire-fighters, teachers, and others, who
work so hard and are responsible for our and our families health, well-being, education, and so on - and who are feeling the
cuts in services and deserve to be paid for the effort that they
put in.

It is absolutely immoral that this concern is being
described as "envy."

In an emergency -would you rather have a fire-man, police man, paramedic, come to your aid or would you rather have an overpaid
politician? Would you rather have teachers teaching your
children or politicians?

Most of the work being done in the states is done by under-paid
public servants. The politicians only take the credit.

No Lexi, that won’t do at all, you should have started by acknowledging the pay rises our federal government have awarded themselves, then I would accept this as your traditional balance, without that it remains an unworthy dog whistle.

Just look what you provoked from Indy.

Not good Lexi and it has nothing whatsoever to do with you disappointing me. You know I’m bullet proof, have no emotions, lack credibility, care about no one and am ideologically unsound.

It is your hard earned reputation and credibility that is not well served by this post. This is not you Lexi, don’t lay it off on me.

Dear spindoc,

Read my opening post again.

I do mention federal politicians as well
and the fact that they received a $50,000
increase last year, plus the fact that
this salary increase decision by the
Victorian State Parliament was a bipartisan
decision.

I thought that I was being fair and even-handed.
But if in your eyes I wasn't - well I guess that's
something I shall have to learn to live with.

Cheers.

Lexi you were being fair and even handed, but Spindoc doesn't like that in a woman, so he is trying to annoy you.

A bit like a mosquito buzzing around your head at night really.

I agree that it is certainly the wrong time for politicians to discuss pay rises for themselves, when there is such a large budget deficit to contend with.

Mind you, all the money in the world wouldn't get me to do a politician's job, with all the personal slurs from this forum alone to deal with...

Lexi, in all fairness, we have a similar situation to us here in QLD, whereby the cuts to almost everything, are in direct repines to the miss management of the former government.

The federal libs will have a similar challenge on their hands.

Industry pays about that and very much more for its leaders.
While it appears I am having myself on after NSW FILTH showed other wise most on any side are not as bad as we tell our selves.
We want or should, the best to lead lets pay fair wages, seems this is fair to me.
I however will support prison for any who let us down, some sell us out for two bottles of wine and tickets to the football.

I am totally supportive of the post by Lexi. The bloodsucking parasites have no right to a payrise, particularly when they deny such to anyone else. Whether or not captains of industry get paid more is not the question .. utter incompetents like the red-headed witch, the dying duck & the RAbbott are completely unemployable in the real world and thus their $400 - 500,000 salaries are unjustified. Furthermore, the scandalous superannuation & retirement perks should never have been allowed, likewise the ostensibly 'independent' renumeration tribunal created by a tame governor general. I welcome Big Clive with his promise to slash the aforementioned lurks.

‘morning Lexi,

Yes I did note your reference to the $50k increase awarded to federal MP’s. But this is an incomplete story that lacks context.

That context being a reference to Victorian MP’s awarding themselves 8% to 15% increases and then asking for OLO opinions of this at a time when cuts are being applied to other government spending.

Surely it would have been much fairer to point out and draw comparisons with where this all started federally?

As at November 2011, “Prime Minister Julia Gillard's salary will rise to $481,000 and backbenchers will get a base rate of $185,000 from 2012, under a plan released today increase $90,000”. With similar increases applied to other ministers.

“Ms Gillard will earn more than the US President, who is paid about $400,000, and Mr Cameron, whose salary is about $221,000, despite presiding over a world power with a population three times that of Australia”.

“Tony Abbott's will jump to $342,250”.

“The Herald Sun revelation that just three months after Federal MPs were given a $44,000 pay rise, they are getting another $5550 boost”.

On August 17 2012, SA passed legislation to maintain the link with the basic
salary of federal members of parliament.

My point being that this is about all MP’s at Federal and State levels awarding themselves large increases in salary, superannuation and parliamentary benefits.

In that context the 8% to 15% increases in Vic are peanuts and we should be discussing the fact that they are all at it, that would have avoided the dog whistle invitation..

That said it has already been done to death by the MSM since November 2011.

Suseonline, << Lexi you were being fair and even handed, but Spindoc doesn't like that in a woman, so he is trying to annoy you >> ?

My wife just read that and asks “what on earth is she going to do when she grows up?”

Peter Coleman in the Preface to, "The Costello
Memoirs," wrote the following about politicians:

"Whatever they may say, most of them do not go
into Parliament to bring about particular reforms;
they go in because they find the life is irresistible.
They want to be in it all their lives. They enjoy its
exhilarating highs and take its miserable (and tedious)
lows in their stride. They face long years in the
wilderness with equanimity. They take for granted the
slander of fools. They also believe that the voters will
get it right in the end. Their day will come. They are
politicians in the way others are poets. They can't help
themselves."

Be that as it may. What is a bit rich - is that with so
many cuts being made in the services sectors including
public service job cuts - it's not a good look for
politicians to give themselves salary increases at a time
when they are asking the public to tighten their belts.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/victorian-state-mps-award-themselves-secret-payout-deals/story-e6frf7kx-1226638281880

spindoc: The office of US president is not about remuneration its about the exercising of political power. The $400K pay is a token, those who seek the position would be willing to "pay" to hold such power.
In Australia the pay rates for MP's and their perks seems just about right. Being a responsible position as it is, not a 9 yo 5 job and again there a differences of effort from one MP to another. Some members are very committed and work very hard for their constituency, these are members from all sides of politics.
If any politicians could gripe about their pay and conditions its those at the top PM, opposition leader, state premiers etc. Again these people don't take on the position simply for the pay, if they did then they are in the wrong job. I may not agree with Abbott or O'Farrell when it comes to their politics, but they certainly put in the effort when it comes to the job.

My wife just read that and asks “what on earth is she going to do when she grows up?”
spindoc,
she'll probably become a librarian or similar.

Dear Individual,

Librarians are novel lovers. :-)

>>she'll probably become a librarian or similar<<

And Lord knows you can't trust people who read books. All those words will fry your brain, right individual?

I think librarians are some of the best people around. They maintain large collections of books in a nice orderly fashion and they let you take them home and read them for FREE. What's not to like about librarians?

>>Is this justified? What do posters think?<<

If I want a pay rise I have to show my boss why I am worth the extra cost to his business. Politicians bosses are the public but they don't have to show us why they're worth the extra cost to the taxpayer - they just go ahead and give themselves a raise. Given how lacklustre their performances have been lately I don't think they deserve any sort of raise - possibly a pay cut.

Cheers,

Tony

Spindoc, I don't need my husband to respond to any negative comments on me on this forum. I'm mature enough to deal with them on my own.

You could maybe find a book in your local library that would help you deal with conflict resolution?

Amazingly, as a teenager, I actually did want to be a librarian, but changed my mind later and became a nurse instead.

I liked the idea of being able to give needles to people...

When the politicians agree to pay nurses a more substantial pay rise, I will be more agreeable to them asking for one themselves!

Lexi,
I'm glad you saw the funny side of it, I'd forgotten to add a smiley. You've told us before what you do. ;-)

Indi, what does the King of your republic, King Mad Katter I, get paid up there in the Deep Deep North? peanuts, or is the answer a pineapple. When "we" elect the Mad Monk Pope of Australia or to some such position in September is their any chance that your country will establish dicklomatic relations with Oz. Australia could make Archy Pell our first ambassador to The Deep Deep North. He would appreciate a posting to God's own country, I'm sure! LOL.
Can you fill me in on how's The Green vote holding up, up your way?

Dear Individual,

I'm glad you liked my librarian quote.

I am concerned about the government cuts happening here
in Victoria especially as I mentioned earlier to all
the services that we rely on. We've got such an excellent
TAFE system and it would be a shame to see that go down
the gurgler. Also, our hospitals are of a high standard,
as are the nursing staff. We can't afford to have the
standard drop. Personally I would like to see a cap on
politicians salaries - and then have them adjusted yearly
accoridng to the CPI - like everyone else.

Dear Suse,

I've got the highest respect for nurses.
They do an excellent job often under the most
difficult of circumstances. Where would we be without them?
I've recently had a rather unpleasant procedure - and
if it wasn't for the great nursing staff - I don't know
if I would have made it. So on behalf of all of them -
Thanks!

Thanks Lexi : )
There are good and bad in every profession I think.
I am sure there must be good politicians who deserve pay rises too?
Perhaps we should only reward those that don't break their promises after they are voted into power.
I have no doubt it will be the same ol' , same ol' with the Libs in September...

Has there ever been:

i. a politicians pay rise without cross-party support,
ii. a proposal by politicians for a structure of performance-based remuneration, or
iii. a proposal by politicians for individual work/employment contracts?

Good evening LEXI...

I totally agree with you LEXI. However, when you think about it, once an individual has got his foot in the door, and served as a Politician for a couple of terms, it doesn't really matter how poorly he may perform, he can't really lose. So when he's ultimately voted out he still reaps most of the benefits he once enjoyed when he was still in the Parliament. So it amounts to a win win for these people.

Rather than rewarding them with regular pay rises, for their indolent, languid behaviour. Upon their initial entry into Parliament, advise them that they're to be award initially a reasonably high salary, and if necessary, simply penalise them, each occasion it has been determined they've engaged in wilful and protracted inactivity, or failure to do their constituents bidding ? Thus, they receive a reduction in salary and allowances ?

Of course it would never work. But it might prove a novel idea to spread it around amongst these useless, unemployable, community sloths ! For a start, remove their entitlement to a C'wealth Car. Make them all use public transport - Of course you have to teach them how to purchase a ticket ? No, it would not work. Most wouldn't have the 'smarts' to understand how to purchase a ticke

Since politicians are really only public servants elected by the sheeple, it stands to reason that the sheeple as employers should have total control of the conditions of work & renumeration of their servants. Currently they have a convenient little rort going thanks to a tame governor general who appoints known politician-friendly drones to an ostensibly 'independent' renumeration tribunal. Predictably, there has **NEVER** been a case of a wage rise refused, disagreement between the parties, or even a hint of a mention of productivity. Furthermore, attempts to open discussion re legitimacy or otherwise with the GG, renumeration tribunal, politicians or anyone else for that matter have all been carefully ignored. Hmmmmmm

I watched "Q and A," last night and listened to
Clive Palmer and Bob Katter and others on the
panel speaking about the woes of Queenslanders.
About the cuts to the front-line staff in
hospitals, about the cuts to other basic services
and there were so many things that we in Victoria
could identify with. And things will probably get
even worse - depending on who wins the next federal
election. Strange though no one mentioned any salary
cuts for the politicians while everything else was
being cut...

To be fair to Big Clive, he has at least promised to slash handouts to has-been bloodsucking parasites. Obviously that doesn't go anywhere near far enough but I guess its at least a start. I do have a real problem with antics like the $500,000 pay grab by the red-headed witch, the deafening silence from the RAbbott & the subsequent $5500 'clean air' package. The retirement of GoAnna the Blight in Queensland (even though she'd won her seat of South Brisbane) is worth mentioning because she stood to lose the higher retirement money paid to premiers. Grubby tricks like that should result in immediate loss of all benefits. In case anyone suggests I'm on the side of Newman / Seeney / Nicholls, those parasites rigged the financial inquiry to exaggerate the extent of the financial poo left by the Blighters, then appointed cronies to highly paid key positions for which they were unqualified & sacked most of the public servants who actually did something whilst retaining the totally unproductive higher paid 'chiefs'.