Gough

[FenceFurniture]

.... just five ex-prime ministers rakig in a total of approx $20mil between them not to mention what they make besides their pensions and entitlement.

Last off-topic post from me on this one: whether you are talking lifetime or per year, $20m over 5 PMs is an average of $4m each whichever way you look at it.

[wheelinround]

Last off-topic post from me on this one: whether you are talking lifetime or per year, $20m over 5 PMs is an average of $4m each whichever way you look at it.

your right Bret sorry ............

[doug3030]

the most unlikely anagram

Gough Whitlam - Go hug with Mal.

Think about that in the light of the political landscape of the day

Cheers

Doug

[artme]

Gough and his government were responsible for many things. Some good, some decidedly bad.

There is no doubt that the early contact with China was a great step.

Countering that we have Gough's attitude to East Timor and the slaughter of the Balibo 5. We also have his decision to recognize
Russian hegemony over the Baltic states. For a man concerned about rights this is strange indeed.

Much of the social reform program of the Whitlam government was needed. The problem was the implementation. There were holes in the legislation, the rules and regulations that you could drive a truck through. This has led, in part, to the entitlement generation as one journo put it.

No government has had the guts to tackle the problems that have arisen from the plethora of welfare legislation- entitlements- that we had thrust on us by governments of both persuasions. It will cost them votes.

On the other hand why do governments firstly take to expenditure and not even look at revenue raising in a sensible way?

[wheelinround]

I had deleted this three times this morning I received it from an old forumite PTC thanks Pete

This is the email I mentioned above

A MUST READ




I absolutely agree, if a pension isn't an entitlement, neither is theirs. They keep telling us that paying us an aged pension isn't sustainable.
Paying politicians all the perks they get is even less sustainable! The politicians themselves, in Canberra, brought it up, that the Age of Entitlements is over:
The author is asking each addressee to forward this email to a minimum of twenty people on their address list; in turn ask each of those to do likewise.
At least 20 if you can. In three days, most people in Australia will have this message. This is one idea that really should be passed around because the rot has to stop somewhere.

Proposals to make politicians shoulder their share of the weight now that the Age of Entitlement is over

1. Scrap political pensions.
Politicians can purchase their own retirement plan, just as most other working Australians are expected to do.
2. Retired politicians (past, present & future) participate in Centrelink.
A Politician collects a substantial salary while in office but should receive no salary when they're out of office.
Terminated politicians under 70 can go get a job or apply for Centrelink unemployment benefits like ordinary Australians.
Terminated politicians under 70 can negotiate with Centrelink like the rest of the Australian people.
3. Funds already allocated to the Politicians' retirement fund be returned immediately to Consolidated Revenue.
This money is to be used to pay down debt they created which they expect us and our grandchildren to repay for them.
4. Politicians will no longer vote themselves a pay raise. Politicians pay will rise by the lower of, either the CPI or 3%.
5. Politicians lose their privileged health care system and participate in the same health care system as ordinary Australian people.
i.e. Politicians either pay for private cover from their own funds or accept ordinary Medicare.
6. Politicians must equally abide by all laws they impose on the Australian people.
7. All contracts with past and present Politicians men/women are void effective 31/12/14.
The Australian people did not agree to provide perks to Politicians, that burden was thrust upon them.
Politicians devised all these contracts to benefit themselves.
Serving in Parliament is an honour not a career.
The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, so our politicians should serve their term(s), then go home and back to work.
If each person contacts a minimum of twenty people, then it will only take three or so days for most Australians to receive the message. Don't you think it's time?

THIS IS HOW YOU FIX Parliament and help bring fairness back into this country!
If you agree with the above, pass it on. If not, just delete
If your wonder why the above individuals are asking for you help look at the figures below.

REMUNERATION – SPECIFIED STATUTORY OFFICES Date of Effect 1 July 2014 Specified Statutory Office Base Salary(per annum) Total Remuneration for office(per annum) Chief of the Defence Force > $535,100 - $764,420 Commissioner of Taxation > $518,000 - $740,000 Chief Executive Officer, Australian Customs and Border Protection Service > $483,840 - $691,200 Auditor-General for Australia > $469,150 - $670,210 Australian Statistician > $469,150 - $670,210 “PAY FREEZE, NOT FAIR. SOB, SOB” Salaries of retired Prime Minister and Politicians Office Additional salary (%) Salary as of 1 July Prime Minister 160 $507,338 Deputy Prime Minister 105 $400,016 Treasurer 87.5 $365,868 Leader of the Opposition 85.0 $360,990 House of Reps Speaker 75.0 $341,477 Leader of the House 75.0 $341,477 Minister in Cabinet 72.5 $336,599 Parliamentary secretary 25.0 $243,912 Other ministers 57.5 $307,329 Shadow minister 25.0 $243,912 Source: Remuneration Tribunal. So if I press all the right buttons, the TOTAL annual wages for the 150 seats in the Parliament are: Prime Minister $507,338 Deputy Prime Minister $400,016 Treasurer $365,868 Leader of the Opposition $360,990 House of Reps Speaker $341,477 Leader of the House $341,477 Minister in Cabinet $336,599 Parliamentary secretary $243,912 Other ministers* 307,329 x 71 = A$21,820,359 Shadow ministers* $243,912 x 71 = A$17,317,752 The TOTAL ANNUAL SALARIES (for 150 seats) = $41,694,311 - PER YEAR! And that’s just the Federal Politicians, no one else! For the ‘lifetime’ payment example (below) I used the scenario that: 1. They are paid ‘lifetime’ salaries the same as their last working year and 2. After retiring, the average pollie’s life expectancy is an additional 20 years (which is not unreasonable). It’s worth remembering that this is EXCLUDING all their other perks! SO, for a 20 years ‘lifetime’ payment (excluding wages paid while a Parliamentarian) Prime Minister @ $507,338 = A$10,146,760 Deputy Prime Minister @ $400,016 = A$8,000,320 Treasurer @ $365,868 = A$7,317,360 Leader of the Opposition @ $360,990 = A$7,219,800 House of Reps Speaker @ $341,477 = A$6,829,540 Leader of the House @ $341,477 = A$6,829,540 Minister in Cabinet @ $336,599 = A$6,731,980 Parliamentary secretary @ $243,912 = A$4,782,240 Other ministers** @ $307,329 = A$6,146,580 x 71 = A$436,407,180 Shadow ministers** @ $243,912 = A$4,878,240 x 71 = A$346,355,040 Conclusions: · TOTAL ‘life time’ (20 year) payments, (excluding wages paid while in parliament) = A$833,886,220 –OVER $833 MILLION · Julia Gillard, Kevin Rudd, John Howard,Paul Keating, Malcolm Fraser,Bob Hawke, et al, add nauseum,are receiving $10 MILLION + EXTRA at taxpayer expense. · Should an elected PM serve 4 years and then decide to retire, each year (of the 4 years) will have cost taxpayers an EXTRA Two and a half million bucks a year! A$2,536,690 to be precise. · A 2 year retirement payment cut-off will SAVE our Oz bottom line A$792,201,909*** NEARLY $800 MILLION. * There are 150 seats in House, minus the 8 above = 142 seats, divided equally for example = 71 each for both shadow and elected ministers. ** This example excludes all wages paid while a parliamentarian AND all perks on top of that - travel, hotels, Secretarial staff, speech writers, restaurants, offices, chauffeured limos, security, etc. etc. *** 150 seats,20-year payment ofA$833,886,220 less annual salary x 2 years of A$83,388,622. [$41,694,311 x 2] “Instead of giving a politician the keys to the city, it might be better to change the locks.” Doug Larson (English middle-distance runner who won gold medals at the 1924 Olympic Games in Paris, 1902-1981) You’re Right, you have found where the cuts should be made! Action: Push for a MAX 2 year post retirement payment (give ‘em time to get a real job). Spread it far and wide folks. People should know. Dr. Dale Kerwin School of Education MT Gravatt Campus Grifffith University ph. 07 3735 5884 fax. 07 3735 5991 email: [email protected]

[Sebastiaan56]

The end of conscription (and yes I would have gone to jail as an concientious objector as a few of my mates did), universal healthcare, free university education, Double J, recognition of China, support for arts, etc, etc. But at the same time the immortal line "We will decide who comes to this country and the manner of their arrival". When he was elected a whirlwind of freshness desperately needed in a culturally crippled and moribund society. He and Barry Jones were two genuinely intelligent people and they were in the government! A first, it became OK to be smart, well educated, cultured and Australian. But like many a great entrepeneur greatly in need of an exceptional PA and CFO to realise the long term vision. That is how I remember him.

What interests me is the vitriol on his passing. Alan Jones and Larry Pickerings open hatred. Much the same tenor as when Thatcher went and Im sure will accompany Fraser, Hawke, Keating and Howard et al. Knowing there can be no reply, a cowardly, vindictive, shyte slinging exercise. Im thankful that my life trajectory doesnt include greatness. No one will slander my name when I die and my family wont have to deal with unwarranted abuse.....

RIP Gough Whitlam.

[FenceFurniture]

Alan Jones open hatred.

You are surprised by that????

[Twisted Tenon]

It's Larry Pickering I don't get. I used to love his cartoons. Where/why did he develope such hatred?

And a 'nother thing. This argument over the wages we pay our pollies needs some balance. They get far less than a CEO of a multi national who claim that you pay peanuts you get monkeys. So shouldn't the same argument apply to the pollies? After all we know what their wage is before we vote for them. The discrepancy between what the pollies call an "entitlement" and what we think an entitlement is, is open for debate. It is breath takingly intellectual dishonesty by the incumbent government.


TT

[Big Shed]

I find it interesting that nearly all the posts here mention that Whitlam introduced "free university education", yet no one mentions that it didn't last long and university fees, through the HECS scheme, were re-introduced by Hawke/Keating.

Personally I think the HECS scheme is a far better and more equitable way of funding university education.

There is no such thing as a free lunch as successive labor govts have found out to our cost.

Personally I think Hawke and Keating have done far more for this country than Whitlam ever did.

This article (I don't know who Don Smith is) sums up my opinion of Mr Whitlams reforms fairly well

http://pickeringpost.com/glance/the-...am-legacy/3982

[artme]

But at the same time the immortal line "We will decide who comes to this country and the manner of their arrival". .

Was that not John Howard??

[Big Shed]

Was that not John Howard??

Yes

Whitlam would turn in his grave if he read that:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacific_Solution

[FenceFurniture]

Give 'im a chance Fred - he's not even in it yet.

[Toymaker Len]

Brilliant PM and exciting times. It felt so good to pull away from the coat-tails of US and UK.

[Twisted Tenon]

Another perspective on The Man

TT

[Bushmiller]

Have you ever noticed how people tend to be revered in death more than they were like alive?

There is a Shakespearian line:

"Our slippery people - Whose love is never link'd to the deserver until his deserts are past."



Regards
Paul