Australian Politics Forum - at last the pollies vote as one

skippy. Gold Member Offline Posts: 20882 Gender:	Re: at last the pollies vote as one Reply #30 - Oct 1^st, 2011 at 12:23pm I dont think politicians get paid enough, considering the likes of Des Hasler has been offered 750 grand a year just to coach a football team and the PM doesn't get half that there seems to be a major problem in the way Australians judge those that lead this country.
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longweekend58

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Re: at last the pollies vote as one
Reply #31 - Oct 1^st, 2011 at 1:46pm

freediver wrote on Oct 1^st, 2011 at 8:45am:

Would you use a bank where the CEO only got paid $150k? We are basically saying that the competent managers are better off managing about 10000 other Australian companies first and the ones who don't make that cut can run the country.

For what they are doing and what they are responsible for, you are paying them peanuts.

the big change was some years back whgen their super perks were removed and they got the standard 9% just like everyone else. this was an effective drop in salary of quite a large amount. At the time, the govt (howard) flagged increasing the base slary to compensate and this hasnt happened yet. $110,000 is anice salary but it is hardly huge especially for the workload and responsibility they carry. If you want superior politicians then you are goig to want to attract people who are already earning far more than that. I thik $250K is perhaps a tad high but not unreasonable. and if the total package is reduced some then probably quite fair.

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Kat Gold Member Offline Socialism IS the answer. Posts: 17709 Everywhere and no-where Gender:	Re: at last the pollies vote as one Reply #32 - Oct 1^st, 2011 at 1:50pm That sounds reasonable, Longy.
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longweekend58

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Re: at last the pollies vote as one
Reply #33 - Oct 1^st, 2011 at 2:01pm

Kat wrote on Oct 1^st, 2011 at 1:50pm:

That sounds reasonable, Longy.

while it is easy to mock pollies, the reaility is that it is a very tough job and we need the very best we can get. and the very best are already earning a lot more than we can offer - ever. BUT if we offer them a DECENT salary they we can attract them. most MPs partners dont work as the life of an MP makes it very hard to run a household as well. there are many many many families with join incomes well above $110K. for a lot of competent people, the current salary isnt just unattractive but below what they need in one-income scenarios.

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perceptions_now

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Re: at last the pollies vote as one
Reply #34 - Oct 1^st, 2011 at 3:27pm

longweekend58 wrote on Oct 1^st, 2011 at 2:01pm:

Kat wrote on Oct 1^st, 2011 at 1:50pm:

That sounds reasonable, Longy.

while it is easy to mock pollies, the reaility is that it is a very tough job and we need the very best we can get. and the very best are already earning a lot more than we can offer - ever. BUT

if we offer them a DECENT salary they we can attract them.

most MPs partners dont work as the life of an MP makes it very hard to run a household as well. there are many many many families with join incomes well above $110K. for a lot of competent people, the current salary isnt just unattractive but below what they need in one-income scenarios.

Agreed & desperately so!

It ain't necessarily so! We will never attract those purely ineterested in money, into Politics, as there will be more to be made outside of Politics.

Decent salary's are already on offer & have been for some time and it hasn't attracted decent people, so what makes you think that more money will attract more decent people?

This is not an issue of money, it is an issue of attitude!

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freediver

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Re: at last the pollies vote as one
Reply #35 - Oct 1^st, 2011 at 3:41pm

perceptions_now wrote on Oct 1^st, 2011 at 3:27pm:

longweekend58 wrote on Oct 1^st, 2011 at 2:01pm:

Kat wrote on Oct 1^st, 2011 at 1:50pm:

That sounds reasonable, Longy.

while it is easy to mock pollies, the reaility is that it is a very tough job and we need the very best we can get. and the very best are already earning a lot more than we can offer - ever. BUT

if we offer them a DECENT salary they we can attract them.

most MPs partners dont work as the life of an MP makes it very hard to run a household as well. there are many many many families with join incomes well above $110K. for a lot of competent people, the current salary isnt just unattractive but below what they need in one-income scenarios.

Agreed & desperately so!

It ain't necessarily so! We will never attract those purely ineterested in money, into Politics, as there will be more to be made outside of Politics.

Decent salary's are already on offer & have been for some time and it hasn't attracted decent people, so what makes you think that more money will attract more decent people?

This is not an issue of money, it is an issue of attitude!

It is the people calling for paltry wages that have the wrong attitude. One mistake by a pollie can cost the country billions, but you want to save a few hundred thousand on their salary?

Quote:

while it is easy to mock pollies, the reaility is that it is a very tough job and we need the very best we can get. and the very best are already earning a lot more than we can offer - ever. BUT if we offer them a DECENT salary they we can attract them. most MPs partners dont work as the life of an MP makes it very hard to run a household as well. there are many many many families with join incomes well above $110K. for a lot of competent people, the current salary isnt just unattractive but below what they need in one-income scenarios.

I think half a million to a million would be about right. After all, the public servants who these pollies are responsible for are earning over 5 times the sallary of their superiors, and even that does not compete with the private sector.

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Andrei.Hicks

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Re: at last the pollies vote as one
Reply #36 - Oct 1^st, 2011 at 3:44pm

The politicians do abuse the system in regards to areas in which they don't have to spend money.

I have been in first class twice from London and both times the person near me was a politician.

Wayne Swan flew his entire staff in first class at our expense.

In normal business, the general policy is not higher than business class, why should public sector employees and politicians be any different?

They don't work to the same rules and often few of them have worked outside the public sector so know bugger all about what its like to run a budget.

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freediver

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Re: at last the pollies vote as one
Reply #37 - Oct 1^st, 2011 at 3:46pm

Give me a politician who does it for the money rather than the love of power any day. You only have to look at PA to see what you get with a poorly paid, power hungry incompetent, feverishly chanting their little soundbites hoping desperately it will resonate with a disinterested public.

At the very least, a competent CEO would not be so worried about losing an election and going back to a million dollar job in the private sector. They would be far less afraid to call it like they see it and get on with the job.

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longweekend58

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Re: at last the pollies vote as one
Reply #38 - Oct 1^st, 2011 at 4:05pm

freediver wrote on Oct 1^st, 2011 at 3:46pm:

Give me a politician who does it for the money rather than the love of power any day. You only have to look at PA to see what you get with a poorly paid, power hungry incompetent, feverishly chanting their little soundbites hoping desperately it will resonate with a disinterested public.

At the very least, a competent CEO would not be so worried about losing an election and going back to a million dollar job in the private sector. They would be far less afraid to call it like they see it and get on with the job.

agreed. a senior executive with super skills might simply not be able to afford to take a salary paying 1/4 of what he is used to knowing his wife probably couldnt work as well. We need to double MP salaries. the actual cost to the country is trivial. with one single mistake - a mistake an experienced CEO or executive wouldnt make - an MP can cost the country 1000 times his salary or more.

Bring it on!

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Andrei.Hicks Gold Member Offline Australian Politics Posts: 23818 Carlsbad, CA Gender:	Re: at last the pollies vote as one Reply #39 - Oct 1^st, 2011 at 4:21pm longweekend58 wrote on Oct 1^st, 2011 at 4:05pm: We need to double MP salaries. And what would you cut to do this? Increase the national debt? Bear in mind you already have oppressive levels of taxation on people compared to this country.
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longweekend58

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Re: at last the pollies vote as one
Reply #40 - Oct 1^st, 2011 at 5:17pm

Andrei.Hicks wrote on Oct 1^st, 2011 at 4:21pm:

longweekend58 wrote on Oct 1^st, 2011 at 4:05pm:

We need to double MP salaries.

And what would you cut to do this?
Increase the national debt?

Bear in mind you already have oppressive levels of taxation on people compared to this country.

A) doubling the salraies would cost far less than one tiny worthless govt program. $15M per year. the embarrassingly stupid set-top box program for pensioners which is close to worthless cost $350M
B) our 'oppressive' taxaion is why we have high growth , low unemployment and a a prosperous future while the two countries you admire so much have massive debt, high unemployment and teetering on yet another long deep recession. IN any reasonable debat that wuld show the australian way is the correct way and the USA/UK way clearly the wrong one.

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freediver

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Re: at last the pollies vote as one
Reply #41 - Oct 1^st, 2011 at 5:48pm

Andrei.Hicks wrote on Oct 1^st, 2011 at 4:21pm:

longweekend58 wrote on Oct 1^st, 2011 at 4:05pm:

We need to double MP salaries.

And what would you cut to do this?
Increase the national debt?

Bear in mind you already have oppressive levels of taxation on people compared to this country.

It would probably save money. The money involved in doubling salaries is insignificant compared to the amount of money at stake and the cost of any mistakes they make. For example, how much do you think the failed Malaysia bid cost? Probably enough to double every federal politicians salary for ten years.

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longweekend58

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Re: at last the pollies vote as one
Reply #42 - Oct 1^st, 2011 at 6:05pm

freediver wrote on Oct 1^st, 2011 at 5:48pm:

Andrei.Hicks wrote on Oct 1^st, 2011 at 4:21pm:

longweekend58 wrote on Oct 1^st, 2011 at 4:05pm:

We need to double MP salaries.

And what would you cut to do this?
Increase the national debt?

Bear in mind you already have oppressive levels of taxation on people compared to this country.

It would probably save money. The money involved in doubling salaries is insignificant compared to the amount of money at stake and the cost of any mistakes they make. For example, how much do you think the failed Malaysia bid cost? Probably enough to double every federal politicians salary for ten years.

and a half-intelligent or experienced Cabinet would never have tried such a dumb stunt.

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perceptions_now

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Re: at last the pollies vote as one
Reply #43 - Oct 1^st, 2011 at 6:35pm

longweekend58 wrote on Oct 1^st, 2011 at 4:05pm:

freediver wrote on Oct 1^st, 2011 at 3:46pm:

Give me a politician who does it for the money rather than the love of power any day. You only have to look at PA to see what you get with a poorly paid, power hungry incompetent, feverishly chanting their little soundbites hoping desperately it will resonate with a disinterested public.

At the very least, a competent CEO would not be so worried about losing an election and going back to a million dollar job in the private sector. They would be far less afraid to call it like they see it and get on with the job.

agreed. a senior executive with super skills might simply not be able to afford to take a salary paying 1/4 of what he is used to knowing his wife probably couldnt work as well. We need to double MP salaries. the actual cost to the country is trivial. with one single mistake - a mistake an experienced CEO or executive wouldnt make - an MP can cost the country 1000 times his salary or more.

Bring it on!

Your opinion of CEO's is not backed up by the many company bankruptcies and businesses that have been bailed out by the Public purse, including a close relative of a former OZ PM.

Whether they be former Trade Unionists, OR former private sector CEO's, they all make mistakes, some more than others and almost all are afflicted with a background of baggage, which says the status quo must continue, when the reality is that it can not, so decisions are simply being taken based on incorrect assumptions!

I agree, the wrong people in government (from both major party's), can be very costly, as we are now in the process of finding out, unyet we keep making the same assumptions & errors!

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longweekend58

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Re: at last the pollies vote as one
Reply #44 - Oct 1^st, 2011 at 6:40pm

perceptions_now wrote on Oct 1^st, 2011 at 6:35pm:

longweekend58 wrote on Oct 1^st, 2011 at 4:05pm:

freediver wrote on Oct 1^st, 2011 at 3:46pm:

Give me a politician who does it for the money rather than the love of power any day. You only have to look at PA to see what you get with a poorly paid, power hungry incompetent, feverishly chanting their little soundbites hoping desperately it will resonate with a disinterested public.

At the very least, a competent CEO would not be so worried about losing an election and going back to a million dollar job in the private sector. They would be far less afraid to call it like they see it and get on with the job.

agreed. a senior executive with super skills might simply not be able to afford to take a salary paying 1/4 of what he is used to knowing his wife probably couldnt work as well. We need to double MP salaries. the actual cost to the country is trivial. with one single mistake - a mistake an experienced CEO or executive wouldnt make - an MP can cost the country 1000 times his salary or more.

Bring it on!

Your opinion of CEO's is not backed up by the many company bankruptcies and businesses that have been bailed out by the Public purse, including a close relative of a former OZ PM.

Whether they be former Trade Unionists, OR former private sector CEO's, they all make mistakes, some more than others and almost all are afflicted with a background of baggage, which says the status quo must continue, when the reality is that it can not, so decisions are simply being taken based on incorrect assumptions!

I agree, the wrong people in government (from both major party's), can be very costly, as we are now in the process of finding out, unyet we keep making the same assumptions & errors!

your opinion of CEOs is nor supported by the vast majority that run their companeis very well and make good profits for them. you only hear of the failures. the healthy ones rarely make the media.

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