Road rage ain’t my thing but I erupted while driving to work this morning when I heard federal politicians were in for a juicy pay rise and a tax cut – all kicking in on the same day.
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While the rest of us have been working harder while our pay packets are stuck in neutral, and those on penalty rates are set to go backwards, our MPs are about to rake in thousands.
Your garden variety backbencher – the ones nodding, guffawing or falling asleep (some of whom appear to be just on the other side of full comprehension) behind their respective leaders in the House of Reps – will see their incomes rise from $199,040 to $203,020 a year.
Millionaire Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull will pocket an extra 10 grand, take his annual pay to $527,852.
They’ll hide behind the excuse that this was the decision of an independent tribunal just like the decision to strip penalty rates from some of our lowest paid workers. Nothing to see here.
Don’t be fooled for one minute. The Remuneration Tribunal says it handed down its decision after receiving a notable increase in submissions arguing for the pay rise, meaning while the pollies didn’t vote for the wallet top-up, they certainly argued for it.
Don’t know about you but I’ve not seen any great increase in productivity from our federal representatives that justifies a pay rise. In fact, given the state of the national debt, the energy crisis, the steampunk NBN and the dismal state of politics in general, I reckon they deserve a pay cut.
Perhaps pollies’ pay should be determined by outcomes – a kind of piece rate or commission system. The ones that achieve great things for their constituents would be in line for more dosh while those treading water, warming seats or nodding behind ministers like parcel-shelf dogs would receive less.
By outcomes, I don’t mean turning up at every opening of every envelope. Us voters twigged long ago that this is not work for the electorate, it’s soft campaigning to get pollies re-elected.
No, by outcomes I mean better local infrastructure, power prices punters can afford, better schools and hospitals and economy that looks after everyone.