Dearest Foxy,

You note:

"There does not appear to be anything wrong with what Mr
Di Natale was doing. He provided housing, food, access to
transport, spending money, in an agreed arrangement with
the individuals for their 25 hours a week of work.
Based on monetary value it is estimated to be $450-$550
dollar value for 25 hours of work which amounts to roughly
$16 to $20 dollars an hour. That's more than some people
get working in hospitality and retail."

Your conservative costing for the au pair's housing (an entire room), food and access to transport which total around $ 350. Yes, that would mean, let's say, $ 150 per week for a room, $ 150 for food (which, presumably, the au pair would prepare for herself at her leisure), and a bit left over for access to transport, perhaps getting dropped off at the nearest bus-stop. That's probably an under-estimate of total expenditure in lieu of actual cash paid out by the generosity of Dr. di Natale.

I don't see what the problem is: clearly the au pair gets paid less than the tax threshold, so she doesn't have to pay tax - clearly a bonus ! No paper-work to bother her.

Anyway, there would probably be plenty of long-term unemployed who would jump at the chance of room and board, and $ 150 a week, for merely doing a bit of work around the house, looking after the kids, cleaning, answering the phone, etc. Sweet !

So I wish the muck-rakers would get off Dr. di Natale's back. It can't be easy on a Senator's salary, maintaining a farm and vineyard, perhaps a bit of medical practitioning as well. Imagine the tax he would have to pay, the paper-work compared to that au pair's. And he probably wouldn't even get a tax cut, which makes his position very similar to Duncan's.

Love,

Joe

Greens now have a new hero. The young sheila (sort of) that spat in the face of the Councilor in Sydney. NO doubt it will be between her and the hero from Storrar who will take over from Richard. The more disgusting the behaviour the bigger hero the regressives will make of them. No doubt the abc will book a spot for her on Q&A giving her the usual applause for degenerates.

Foxy,

There are 2 issues here:

1 The Au pair was paid $150 for 40hrs work not $450 for 25hrs. Even given that au pair rates take accommodation into account, this is about 1/2 the going rate.

2 Given that Dinner Tally is the leader of the greens who supposedly championing minimum rates of pay and worker's rights, he appears quite happy to abandon his principles when it comes to working for him.

Hi SM,

You suggest that Senator di Natale " .... appears quite happy to abandon his principles when it comes to working for him."

I suggest that he may well have been quite unhappy, or at least a little bit unhappy, about "abandoning his principles." After all, the Greens are very strong on principles. For all we know, he might have offered that au pair much higher cash wages, closer to the standard award rates, but she knocked it back. And let's not forget that she's allowed to use the bathroom, and maybe even the TV room and the verandah. You wouldn't get that at every Backpackers'.

Just because Dr. di Natale pays only a fifth or less in cash wages doesn't mean that that au pair didn't get far more out of the experience - spiritual inspiration, for instance. You won't get much of that from the Tweedles.

Joe

and who opposed paying (giving) people living in outback communities food instead of money? I wonder!

There are two types of au pairs. One is supplied by the au pair organisation. The other are freelance AU pair. The freelance command a living wage as per award.

The organisation that you have to be a member of set the minimum pocket money, and your guarantees make sure minimum work standards are observed.

DiNat did nothing wrong. There would be thousands here at any given time.