It has been revealed that during his final 12 weeks as the then, new PM, K Rudd spent some $500,000 on over seas FIRST CLASS travel for he and his filthy rich wife, all at our expense of cause.

Well, not really at our expense, because it was at the expense of the elderly, who can't really afford to live, or those, who after having paid their taxes, can't afford an operation, or even medical help.

Shame on you Mr Rudd, as you have just proven you are a leach on society.

Just on the topic of tax payer funded travel, why first class. Why can't we pay for economy, then they upgrade if they feel the need.

Well, Rudd made a big song & dance of the apology to the Indigenous but what about apologising to us who copped the brunt of his incompetence ? Most of Labor should be ashamed !

I share your disgust rehctub and Indi.

Ludwig,
I have brought this up many times here, the Public Service bureaucrat travel is nothing short of insane. You should spend a day at Cairns Airport & watch them in the Qantas Lounge waiting for their frequent flyer points to accumulate. They make Rudd look like an occasional traveller.

God struth the right whingers are at it again.

Pretty well half of the amount of Rudd's airfares was spent on a trip to visit and support our troops in Afghanistan. It consisted on numerous changes of flights and part of the journey was in a C-130 which correct me if I am wrong doesn't have a first class facility on the damn thing.

Abbot has taken 9 weeks instead of 5 to reach the half million dollar figure but Rudd wasn't the one who claimed travel expenses to go to his mate's wedding or attend a cycling race.

I really don't get it. You lot bleat about noses in the trough but when faced with Liberal ministers racking up thousands of dollars to go get pissed at weddings you go all quiet. This isn't about wasteful spending for you guys is it, it is far more about a deep seated irrational hatred of Rudd and Labour in general. It is myopic, idiotic, blindly partisan, trash talking and it speaks to some very shallow vindictive perspectives. It's time to grow up fellas and you can start by being a tad more consistent.

If you care to read my post again SteeleRedux, you will see that I have asked why any politician should be provided with first class flight at all.

I say give them economy flights, then, if they choose to upgrade, they can, but at their expense.

I have acknowledged that it works poorly, both ways.

Well said Steele!

Oh come on rehctub get real. I have done a reasonable amount of overseas travel, admittedly only a very small amount of it first class but enough to know how much of a difference it would make to a person's disposition and alertness when faced with some of the horrendous itineraries these people undertake serving as the leader of our country. Perhaps there may be a case to be made that Rudd's wife be asked to contribute to upgrade from Business to First class to be with her husband but to me it isn't an issue.

Here is a DFAT document of some of Rudd's earlier trips released under freedom of information. You will see his flights were a mixture of both First Class and Business but his Chief of Staff always flew business and stayed in lesser hotel rooms.
http://dfat.gov.au/foi/downloads/dfat-foi-11-13451-released-documents.pdf

I would much prefer the person representing my country be on top of his or her game as much as possible. It is deemed good business practice for the CEOs of large corporations (with far less responsibility than Rudd had) to be as fresh and alert as possible when negotiating overseas, why in the hell shouldn't we expect the same for Australia. Sure there might be some quibbling about the incidentals and you might find me in furious agreement when we look at the expenses of our former prime ministers of whom Howard would appear to lead the pack, but on the whole I do not begrudge first class travel for serving prime ministers one little bit.

However what really gets up my nose is situations like when Gina Rinehart flew Bishop, Joyce and Gambaro to a wedding in India all three claimed overseas study entitlements for the trip home. What the hell? Why on earth did we as taxpayers have to fork out to fly these three, who were then in opposition, home from a multi-million dollar rich list bash? That is where you should be rattling the cage, not over prime ministerial travel.

$500,000 over a few weeks is not what he should be ashamed of because it is done and will not cost any more.

The real shame will be a large burden for Australian taxpayers for many generations, that is calling out the taxi service for more than 50,000 economic invaders.

Also at fault now is the current opposition with there tactics to hamper the present Government from dealing with the invaders.

I have an immediate idea that could claw back quite a few millions. Means test the politicians for a start! Let's take a few luminaries who really don't deserve the largesse we give them.

The wastage in this area alone is horrendous and is a massive burden on the taxpayer. The latest revelation that both Rudd and Gillard get a $200,000 salary for the rest of their natural lives plus enormous travel allowances, office accommodation and staffing costs is an insult given that neither was poor to start with and both now have 'jobs'. They are young enough to work. Younger than me! If I have to keep working until I am 70 plus, why don't they?

A study in 2010 by the Daily Telegraph revealed that Mr Rudd, at 52, a young ex-prime minister, will receive well in excess of $20 million worth of allowances if he lives to 85. This is despite the fact he had served just 2 1/2 years as P.M. at that point. This of course has altered even more dramatically with his additional tenure.
Just so I am being even handed here - according to the 2010 figures Keating was in fact the most frugal as he keeps staffing costs low by engaging people on a part-time and ad hoc basis.

Each former PM is entitled to at least two staff, including a senior private secretary, and the annual wages bill of each is nearly $300,000. Mr Keating saves about $70,000 a year by using staff as he needs them instead of full time appointees.

However, new figures have come to light revealing that in the seven months after leaving office, Mr Howard spent $109,892 on limousine services, evenly split between the government Comcar service and private hire cars. Mr Howard's office rental was the highest at $13,853 a month, closely followed by former PM Malcolm Fraser, whose 101 Collins St office in Melbourne costs taxpayers $12,122 a month.

Why is it then that we continue to provide multiple millions to give these buggers swanky offices to run their now quite irrelevant lives from?

Nice try but if you think it's so relevant to excuse the present by looking to the past, Howard still wins with his $800+K European farewell tour, including a $10K late hotel check-out fee for his stay in Italy.
He racked up $20million in overseas travel during his 11 years. http://www.smh.com.au/national/howards-11-years-of-globetrotting-cost-20m-20090226-8j9m.html

I remember him staying on in the UK for a couple of extra days so he could watch some cricket (at our expense).

Then there are Abbott's $900K pa domestic personal expenses while in Opposition - higher than then-PM Gillard's - not including those personal expense claims for "volunteering" and book promotions.

I guess you can't find any way of praising the current PM so you think attacking former ones will make him look good.

Whitlam, Fraser, Hawke, Keatinge, Howard, Rudd & Gillard are all kept by silly us. That's 5:1 between the parties. What a joke. At least Howard did something for the country even though he's not really deserving of so many of our Dollars.
Then there are the backbone of Labor, the bureaucrats who cost us a thousand times more than the ex PM's.
I don't think Australians will ever wake up to the rorts they support as long as they're ok themselves. Never mind the decent folk who are struggling to stave off the maggots. Thank you Unions.

Better send all politicians flying first class non-stop with their whole extended families at our expense:

They are much more dangerous when they land!

Do any of the Labor mutts honestly believe the Goaf is worthy of the tax Dollars going his way for 4 decades ? What about his even more incompetent hangers-on ? No ex PM howard, Hawke or anyone is worthy of so many millions of our tax dollars. There has to be a lessening of contributions after more than 10 years. I fail to see how a 95 year old requires that sort of money in an aged care home. I bet his nearest & dearest are rubbing their hands with anticipation.

Not defending Howard, Wobbles, but unlike Rudd, he did take a badly broken economy, turn it around and left it in great shape. Huge difference.

Rudd on the other hand, took an economy I'm great shape and, with the assistance of Gillard, and their bunch of incompetents, managed to bring us way back, even beyond where Howard started from in 96.

If they (Rudd, Gillard and senior ministers) were company directors/CEO's they would all be facing criminal charges by now.

Not only are theY a protected species, but stupid us support them for the rest of their lives, regardless of the mess they leave behind.

But no, we'd rather pick on the likes of the Qantas CEO.

we'd rather pick on the likes of the Qantas CEO
rechtub,
I have mentioned mentality a lot on OLO but no bites.

Indi, Gough Whitlem was one of Australia's truly great Prime Ministers. To support the great one is his twilight years is both an honour and a privilege for you and I.

General call out to all posters "If anyone comes across Indi's mentality please hand it in at the asylum's front desk. Indi can't function with it and certainly can't function without it!"

Indi I hope this helps get your mentality back. LOL

Indi I hope this helps get your mentality back. LOL
Paul1405,
There has never been a need to get my mentality back to anything from anywhere. You are someone with an immense problem in that field. You don't know where you come from & where you're going. That's a very bad way to be in.
Are you an academic bureaucrat ?

Paul, "Gough Whitlem was one of Australia's truly great Prime Ministers"

Thanks mate for confirming you are complete mad.

As for that disgusting bit of muck Rudd, anything that could make him ashamed would make a hundred others commit suicide.

No Indi I am a Human Being. Academic Bureaucrat, had one of them once, took out 'Best of Breed' 3 years running at The Sydney Royal, a bloody fine specimen he was to!
How's things up there in the Deep Deep North! Missed your marvelous input on the 'Rolf Harris' thread, wanted to know a bit more about them there fellas you spoke of, You Know, the "normal "ones do'n a Rolf down at ya local, while feel'n a XXXX come n' on.

Cheers Buddy.

and a big thank you to Hassie as well! A most riveting contribution I must say.

Paul1405,
Actually, I envy your mentality, it must be great not getting headaches at times. What a blissful life you're living. Is it at our financial expense as well apart from the social damage you inflict ?
Re the Goaf being such a great PM, you also have a sick sense of humour.
Human being yeah well but what quality ?