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The Forum > General Discussion > Our illegally elected politicians - Should they pay their wages and benefits back?

Our illegally elected politicians - Should they pay their wages and benefits back?

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Why, the state did not lose a dollar because had this or that clown not been elected, another clown would!

Thinking of this, we should elect guinea pigs as politicians: they eat much less than humans and it will be pretty cheap to house them communally in Canberra (even if their whole family is brought with them), so there will be no need to pay them for travel and other perks... and they certainly are not dual citizens!
Posted by Yuyutsu, Sunday, 29 October 2017 7:17:08 AM
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That's true, Yuyutsu. The 'illegal' politicians cost us the same as Australian-only citizens, and we have to pay for some drones anyway; so, nothing lost really.
Posted by ttbn, Sunday, 29 October 2017 8:11:53 AM
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Whilst I agree that there was no added cost to the taxpayer, it is an irrelevant argument when you apply the law.

The key points:

Ignorance of the law is no excuse!

Ignorance of a persons position under the law is no excuse.

Under our constitution they were not entitled to run for parliament, they were not entitled to be elected to parliament, they were not entitled to sit in parliament or be paid wages, superannuation and other benefits for sitting in parliament.

The law doesn't work the way you guys are suggesting.

If you apply the no cost argument a person can rob a jewellery store, have guilt and give the jewellery back and the law would no longer apply. This is simply not how laws work!

If a voter misrepresents himself or does anything wrong the penalties are very harsh, yet if a politician breaks the law through citizenship errors there is no ramifications legally except a new election.

Electoral Offences Australia

Fraudulent enrolment or voting offences under the Act include the following:

forging any enrolment or electoral papers, maximum penalty: 10 years imprisonment (Division 144 of the Criminal Code);

unlawfully signing any enrolment or electoral papers, maximum penalty: $1 000 (section 336);

unlawfully witnessing any enrolment or electoral papers: maximum penalty: Imprisonment for 12 months (section 337);

MAKING ANY FALSE OR MISLEADING STATEMENT IN ANY STATEMENT in any enrolment or electoral papers, maximum penalty: 12 months imprisonment (Division 136 & 137 of the Criminal Code)

Now these rules apply for the poor little voters but surely they also apply to politicians!

Getting elected into parliament when you weren't entitled to even run seems a far worse offence!

Whilst I have been using Barnaby Joyce as an example - afterall was the Deputy Prime Minister - the law of the land applies to all those wrongly elected.

Amazing that I have seen one media outlet raise these issues but they love reporting on politicians who attack little people for getting things wrong with Centrelink and other Government Agencies.

Have the debt collector letters been sent yet?
Posted by Opinionated2, Sunday, 29 October 2017 10:47:35 AM
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CORRECTION!

Actually there is an added cost to taxpayers and it runs into the millions!

In all the seats of these politicians we no have to have bi-elections that would never have been necessary if they had complied with the laws of the land.

The no cost argument doesn't apply at all!
Posted by Opinionated2, Sunday, 29 October 2017 10:57:17 AM
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Penalties might be applied, though I doubt it. I would prefer to see any effort and expense to go towards rooting out any other dual citizens lurking in our parliament.
Posted by ttbn, Sunday, 29 October 2017 11:23:37 AM
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Hasn't the High Court previously ruled in a similar case that since the politician performed the functions, the pay and other claimed entitlements were due?
Posted by leoj, Sunday, 29 October 2017 11:24:34 AM
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