A lot of politicians’ entitlements are shrouded in obfuscation within the walls of the Department of Finance and Deregulation (a title that speaks volumes). But from the little information made available …

On retirement, Bronwyn Bishop will receive a taxpayer funded pension of $255,000 for life, plus various perks and allowances, over and above whatever generous superannuation package has accrued for her, also at taxpayer expense.

Approximately $5 million per year in pensions is paid to ex-politicians annually. This includes any politician who has served for six years or more, including back-benchers.

A big chunk of this goes to ex-PMs, ex-Deputy PMs, ex-Opposition Leaders and ex-Deputy Opposition Leaders. John Howard, Paul Keating and all living ex-PMs elected prior to 2004 receive an average $250,000 pension for life, plus a city office, a staff of four, a chauffeur-driven car and unlimited business-class air travel. The perks alone cost up to $300,000 per politician per year. When they die, their spouses continue to receive a pension of $80,000 per year.

If the pollie was elected after 2004, they don’t get the chauffeur or the staff or four, but they get just about everything else.

If Kevin Rudd, say, lives to the age of 85, he will have cost the taxpayer about $15-20 million - for doing absolutely nothing.

As for superannuation, the annual cost to the taxpayer for the Parliamentary Superannuation Contribution Scheme now stands at $46 million, and increasing every year. (In 2013/2014, it was $39 million.)

Many of these politicians were already millionaires in their own right before entering parliament and/or rising to political prominence – Joe Hockey, Malcolm Turnbull, Peter Costello, Kevin Rudd and Paul Keating to name a few. What possible purpose does it serve to have these obscenely rich people suck the public purse long after they have left parliament, while eroding the rights of ordinary people to a minimum safety net when they fall on hard times?

Hasbeen,

Just noted your delightful post.

"I do find your method of lying by twisting facts very interesting. Watching your antics has given me a new understanding of the slime that is our left."

Charming - did you learn that at racing driver, engineer, pilot, sailor man - or more aptly - "BS artist" charm school?

Lol!

"....either you know it is Shorten & company refusing to vote for necessary cuts in spending in the senate, or you're an idiot. I neither know or care which."

Oh you mean all those cuts which Abbott promised (the night before the election) he wouldn't make, in order to swing himself into office? You know, the ones that target the poorest in society? You know, the ones that weren't hinted at before Abbott conned his way into office?

Or could it be things like cigar-puffing Hockey's $8.8 billion dollar gift to the RBA which it didn't want, need or ask for?

What are you defending - surely not this dog's breaky of a govt who, as we speak, is slowly unravelling.

The "debt and deficit disaster" was one huge con....there was never a budget emergency - except for the simple-minded among us who swallowed the Coalition's BS.

And if it was a disaster - what is it now that it's nearly 30% larger than at the time of the last election?

It's not easy to grow a debt by that much in only two years - there's no GFC or stimulus happening now...it's all down to crappy govt.

Hopeless in just about every quarter.

Go away and find us a decent conservative govt - not this shambolic far right-wing botch-up.

Liberals again in turmoil. Turnbull says Australia the only one out. What other position can you be in with a shambles of a regime like we have been blessed with.

After an election won on fraud and lies, what else do you expect, a happy liberal party. Not all liberals are so far entrenched in themselves as Abbott is.

100 b $ in two years, when will all of this come to an end. The answer is never while Abbott is running his own show while the rest of his supposed team tags behind. Submarines for Japan, Coal mines for India, Australia for China, all this done under cover of Abbott’s secrecy .This is a shambles, and should be bought to an end.

Unemployment going through the roof, that is not what Abbott promised, with no end in sight, programmed to keep rising for several years, while the govt; squabbles over human relationships which is considered by far the most important item on the agenda.
Australia needs to push the reset button, and get on with relevant government , to do that we need an election to clear the air and other things.

Interest rates at an all time low, unemployment in freefall, Lowers $ for years and we are going nowhere. If this govt ; survives till the next budget we will be 150 Billion $ extra in debt, for what

Here you go, Hasbeen.

Since Abbott's election win and his announcement that Australia is "open for business", private investment is down by 11%.

Under the Labor govt 2007-13 business investment was up 66%.

Naughty Labor!

Killarney,

You have raised a number of interesting points there.

I will just picking on one to demonstrate what I personally refer to as the 'entitled boss' syndrome -referring to the abrupt change in personality that seems inevitable where a person is elevated to the most senior ranks, whereupon s/he starts to believe that the organisation is actually there to serve herself/himself and its assets actually their own to use.

I was amazed to learn that while while federal politicians' superannuation payments are (rightly) fully indexed against increases in average wages, politicians on both sides of parliament have continued to deny the same indexation for their 'employees' the federal public servants (who are compelled to contribute for their whole careers).

That is despite the conclusions of a number of parliamentary committees over the years that the discounted indexation affecting public servants is manifestly unfair and indefensible.

The substantial majority of public servants retire at junior salary levels and the pensions they have been obliged to pay for are very modest indeed. In most cases only serving to exclude them from pension benefits and the value of their paid-for superannuation pension is being fast eroded annually.

The retired superannuated public servants must live like church mice, while having their cheese money devalued annually.

The politician bosses' (LNP, Labor and Greens) shabby treatment of their own retired and powerless employees stands in stark contrast to their own expectations and demands. That is without taking into account the fact that politicians' superannuation is already very generous, heavily weighed in their favour.

Taking that enduring example of politicians' very shabby denial of fairness towards their own 'employees' into account and remembering that politicians have proposed yet another review (yet the earlier ANAO Report and the following review are NOT out-dated) and are hosing down public comment by saying that no-one should 'pre-judge'(say what?!) the outcomes of the new review, the public can rest assured that the politicians will again be making sure they are OK and everyone else can eat cake.

Abbott again making decisions for the liberal coalition, do what I say or resign. So much for peoples vote, when Abbott can hijack their individual vote in parliament.

This religious guided fool is out on a limb. His judgment is not in perspective with public opinion. SA headed for 8 % unemployment and this mob of galahs could not be bothered with what it is they are supposed to be doing.

What role does the Gov; general have in this shemozzle of a govt; Then again he was a captains pick wasn’t he. The only hope we have as a nation is the elected members of the coalition rise up and say Abbott is out, and we are taking back our govt;

Abbott took his party for a ride prior to the last election with a barrage of lies and promises that were never going to be kept, it was a total fraud. What ever served the purpose at the time was on display for the Australian people to vote on. We never got what we voted for.

Since the last election AU has been in a dramatic decline, and the longer the liberal members allow this to continue we are in for a torrid time for our future. 100 Billion $ in 2 years , which is an all-time record spend , especially when foreign investment has declined to miniscule numbers, and all Abbott wants to do is sell Australia into foreign hands for free.