We pay top dollar and get monkeys

Date
    April 1, 2014


How do you trouser a pay rise for 70 grand? With a big smile, if you’re Campbell Newman. And a deep, quiet blush of embarrassment if you’re Annastacia Palaszczuk, because your 70-thousand dollar bump turned into 80.

It seems a little excessive, doesn’t it? Especially with the government this close to collapsing the state’s health system by mugging senior doctors. The doctors didn’t ask for more money, just so you know. They didn’t really ask for anything other than not being mugged by the Health Minister, Lawrence Springborg, who decided to go ahead and mug them anyway. (Right after he’d finished scrapping the program of free safety checks for baby capsules.)      :(

And why not mug the doctors. It’s not like you’re gonna need them to tend to the little victims of poorly fitted car safety capsules after all.

So the Borg’s got a pay rise which is bigger than your actual salary too, assuming you’re an average punter and not a Google executive or Queensland Government minister. So he must be right. He must be crushing it as Health Minister. Otherwise, why piss Cristal into his pockets which are already full of gold doubloons?

Now, granted, pay rises for politicians are an easy mark for lazy columnists. But they make it so eeeeasy.

The last pay rise you got was, what, 2 or 3 per cent? Did you even notice it when the tax man had taken his cut? Because even though he’d grab at least half of Newman’s increase, that still leave the Premier with an extra seven or eight hundred bucks a week for pizzas and beer.

A week.

Not a year or even a month.

Would you notice an extra 700 a week dropping into your poorly named savings account?

Yes I suspect you would.

But here’s a more interesting question, working as hard as you possibly could, not skiving off for any sly ciggy breaks or coffee runs, opting out of the office gossip circle, deleting Flappy Birds or Candy Crush from your phone so you don’t spend too long in the dunny, basically maximising your productivity to the max … do you honestly believe you’d be worth an extra $700 a week?

And you arguably do more for the community than somebody who seems to fill his days mugging doctors and cancelling baby capsule programs. Because, you know, those pay rises aren’t gonna pay for themselves.

comments so far

        Maybe Can Do can use the extra money to buy a set of ears? his present set don't seem to be working.......I wish I could vote.      :(

    Commenter
        Rob
    Location
        Brisbane
    Date and time
        April 01, 2014, 6:59AM

            John, I'm sure other people will say this, but Labor voted against the pay rises and are going to donate theirs to charity.

        Commenter
            marktlog
        Location
        Date and time
            April 01, 2014, 12:16PM

            @marktlog
            "Labor voted against the pay rises and are going to donate theirs to charity"

            Funny you should mention that.
            I started a petition calling on Campbell Newman to do this (I didn't know about Labor's gesture then).

            Campbell Newman is sorry, but he has no choice but to accept his latest pay rise (funny, he said exactly the same thing last time).

            Here is a way Campbell can take the pay rise and still have a clear conscience.

            In line with Queensland's economic austerity, we call on you and your ministers to donate their recent pay rise above the 2.2% awarded to public servants, to the charities losing state assistance.   :(

            http://chn.ge/1i0lnIw

        Commenter
            Goresh
        Location
            Brisbane
        Date and time
            April 01, 2014, 5:14PM


Read more: http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/comment/blogs/blunt-instrument/we-pay-top-dollar-and-get-monkeys-20140331-35uhw.html#ixzz2xx8rRSpO

Campbell Newman is sorry, but he has no choice but to accept his latest pay rise (funny, he said exactly the same thing last time).      :(

wrote on Apr 5^th, 2014 at 7:03am:

Campbell Newman is sorry, but he has no choice but to accept his latest pay rise (funny, he said exactly the same thing last time).      :(

They are all pigs at the troth of public money
while they cry poor.

wrote on Apr 5^th, 2014 at 7:03am:

Campbell Newman is sorry, but he has no choice but to accept his latest pay rise (funny, he said exactly the same thing last time).      :(

its a tough job be honest... taking more money thats forced on you....is tough. :(

Campbell Newman, when the next election comes, you ... are ... GAWN! You're about as safe as a sandcastle just above the breakers at low tide. When the political tide turns, you will be engulfed and forgotten.

wrote on Apr 5^th, 2014 at 7:03am:

Campbell Newman is sorry, but he has no choice but to accept his latest pay rise (funny, he said exactly the same thing last time).      :(

This is just another reason why Newman is a lying turd.

He can refuse it. He's lying if he says he couldn't. He could pass legislation. He's got the numbers. If that doesn't work, he could donate the extra money to charity. They will need the money after his reign of terror against social services.

There is an interesting couple of photos in the newpapers (I saw them on facebook but will try and find them.  The first is a long shot of both sides of parliament with a bill be discussed about social security, the poor and homeless and other welfare type issues.  There were about 5 pollies on each side

The next photo was the same angle, but this time the bill being discussed was pollies pay rises.    I don't think an extra flea could of squeezed in!  The place was packed

Queensland love their conservative politicians.....Queensland deserves Newman and Newman deserves Queensland!!!

:) :) :)

Vic wrote on Apr 5^th, 2014 at 9:29am:

There is an interesting couple of photos in the newpapers (I saw them on facebook but will try and find them.  The first is a long shot of both sides of parliament with a bill be discussed about social security, the poor and homeless and other welfare type issues.  There were about 5 pollies on each side The next photo was the same angle, but this time the bill being discussed was pollies pay rises.    I don't think an extra flea could of squeezed in!  The place was packed

.. and a deafening silence was heard when the chair called for the nay votes....

It's a safe bet that these hefty and undeserved pay rises were not accompanied by productivity gains.  ::)

Bam wrote on Apr 5^th, 2014 at 12:49pm:

It's a safe bet that these hefty and undeserved pay rises were not accompanied by productivity gains.  ::)

Oh - but haven't you heard?  Politicians work REEEEALLY hard in those meetings for your benefit....

;D      ;D      ;D      ;D      ;D

Past time for these so-called "independent" tribunals to be disbanded.

Make politicians responsible for their own pay rises.

>:(

Lobo wrote on Apr 5^th, 2014 at 2:13pm:

Past time for these so-called "independent" tribunals to be disbanded. Make politicians responsible for their own pay rises. >:(

I agree Froggie.....We elect them to make decisions and be accountable.....Let them tell the public why they deserve these massive pay rises instead of claiming it is out of their control!!!

>:( >:( >:(

philperth2010 wrote on Apr 5^th, 2014 at 4:09pm:

Lobo wrote on Apr 5th, 2014 at 2:13pm: Past time for these so-called "independent" tribunals to be disbanded. Make politicians responsible for their own pay rises. >:( I agree Froggie.....We elect them to make decisions and be accountable.....Let them tell the public why they deserve these massive pay rises instead of claiming it is out of their control!!! >:( >:( >:(

The point is ~ it is not out of his control.  He controls the Government which controls everything including MP salary increases.  He could change it in a flash.