Nobody is immune it seems.

SA Liberal Senator Anne Ruston claimed almost $650,000
in expenses, including more than $420,000 for an
office fit out.

Then there's Helen Coonan - $414,205,25 for an office
fit out.

SA Liberal MP Tony Pasin at - $500,000 for an office
fit-out.

And the list goes on - which includes politicians of
all persuasions.

Pointing the finger at just a select few does not
paint the big picture accurately. Not all politicians
want or desire the office-fit-outs. Many are quite
happy with what they've got. However, apparently
the decisions for office fit-outs are made beyond their
realm of control. (Look it up).

These matters need further investigation and action
to be taken.

Beach, your only sore on the fact that elected polys like Larissa have reasonable offices to carry out their duties of state. Where as you and Jim are confined to that damp, dank old basement in the dirty red building in Tempe (Sydney) I laugh every time I go past, give us a break, and give the joint a new paint job, please!

The office "fit out" caper, lets get it into perspective for the benefit of the misinformed Beach. The fact is politicians do not control the spending when it comes to office "fit outs", it is under the direct management of the Commonwealths Department of Finance which is responsible for such matters, and the department updates the public record on parliamentary entitlements, travel and office costs twice yearly.
In the past year Finance has spent over $4.5 million on office "fit outs" for more than 100 MP's and Senators. The biggest spend of more that $500,000 was for South Australian Liberal MP Tony Pasin's Mt Gambier office "fit out".

South Australian Senator Nick Xenophon said parliamentarians currently have little to no say on the amount spent on their offices.

"The MPs want certain refurbishments done in their offices to make them functional. They don't know how much it will cost," he said.

"It would be a good idea for MPs and senators to have an idea of what the likely cost will be because I know for my office fit-out, it cost over $200,000 (in 2010) and I was shocked." ABC News.

Fox,

You need to read and understand the report by The Courier Mail before leaping to confusion.

In the Brisbane market and having regard for the particular electorate where many citizens are itinerants and students living on instant noodles, and elderly who are deficient on protein and living in their un-maintained, uninsured homes through not being able to afford a reasonable diet and skyrocketing Council rates, electricity charges and vehicle registration (some examples), GREENS Senator Larissa Waters spending a whopping $414,000 to fit out her already pristine, trendy Paddington office is well over the top.

Paddington is a niche suburb, expensive and it was quite unnecessary for Senator Larissa Waters to locate her electorate office there.

Then again, maybe her choice was representative of the smug, well-off, cafe latte knobs who are the Greens and are always presuming to tell others who are less well off how to run their lives!

Instead of trying to defend an outrageous spend, you should be noting what is an excellent example of politicians living high on the hog, courtesy of the taxpayer.

The Greens are hypocrites. Sauce for the goose is not sauce for the gander where the Greens are concerned.

Beach, when confronted with the facts you simply choose to ignore them. You call The Greens hypocrites while making no comment on the spending of Liberal Party phonies led by the biggest one of all, Tony Abbott. Make comment on a Prime Minister who would do a run through in a cancer ward where people are dying for no other reason than to obtain a financial advantage for himself, and then boast about it later to his sycophantic cronies, or is that something you condone. Examples of Coalition hypocrisy are boundless, yet you choose to ignore them all.
Yourself came deceptively to this forum claiming to be "middle of the road" and a "political neutral" yet has displayed a totally rabid right wing bias ever since. At least other posters, left and right, make no secret of their political leanings, and therefore gain some modicum of respect from others, but not you!

Well I suppose if it's all right for otb to blame Larissa Waters for the Finance depts fit out of her office, then it's perfectly fine to bame George Brandis for this luxury $5,000 water taxi tour of Venice's canals.

http://www.9news.com.au/national/2015/08/12/04/02/big-venice-water-taxi-fee-for-brandis

"Australian embassy officials booked a luxury water taxi costing more than $5000 to take Attorney-General George Brandis around the canals of Venice during a trip to open a visual arts exhibition in May, it's been reported.

But Senator Brandis' office says the first he knew of the water taxi was when Australia's ambassador to Italy and former South Australian Labor premier Mike Rann turned up in the boat, with his wife, to pick him up, News Corp reported on Wednesday.

The 12-hour water limo ride was commissioned by Australia's embassy in Rome, according to documents obtained under Freedom of Information.

It said it was the only boat left for hire in the entire archipelago.

The water taxi fee of more than $5000 was paid out by the attorney-general's office after being booked by the embassy."

Ahem..."It said it was the only boat left for hire in the entire archipelago."

Wow!....surely we whould be thinking about "many citizens [who] are itinerants and students living on instant noodles, and elderly who are deficient on protein and living in their un-maintained, uninsured homes through not being able to afford a reasonable diet and skyrocketing Council rates, electricity charges and vehicle registration (some examples)" - and here we are paying for a frolic on the canals!

Paul,

Did otb really intimate that he was " "middle of the road" and a "political neutral"?

Guffaw!