Federal politicians should lead by example - abolish entitlements - live like the rest of us

To the Honourable President and members of the Senate in Parliament assembled:

I am writing to you with my view and to some extent a larger proportion of the Australian population about our current government

Our government needs to change the way it works and thinks before our country goes down the gurgler. When we go down the gurgler it can only be said that our leaders led by example – they are wholly to blame for our problems and a proportion of this is based on a 2 party preferred system.

We need independents to keep the two major parties and there members honest, the two major party’s DO NOT lead by example.

Christopher Pyne suggests that independents destabilize the senate process – it’s the opposite, if we had a 2 party senate, things would get through the system to suit the parties not the people. Independents make the 2 party preferred elected politicians have to think and work to make their policy happen, negotiating across a greater spectrum of our community through the independents.

If Julie Bishop led by example she would manage her diary better and not manufacture an unavoidable need to travel on the government ministerial jet, when travelling commercially could have been achieved. This could have saved our country $30,000. In the scheme of things this is small. If every politician treated there expenditure as if it were their own business this $30,000 would turn into millions of dollars of savings for our country. But they don’t, it’s not their money so they spend it freely and try to make sure it fits within the so called “guidelines” which are written in the colour grey for their benefit.

On 2 August 2015, the Government announced a fundamental review into the parliamentary entitlements system. Sounds too good to be true, I believe it is! The Government engaged Mr. David Tune, former Secretary of the Department of Finance (long term bureaucrat), Mr. John Conde, President of the Remuneration Tribunal (long term associate of politicians and old style company director) Mr. Harry Jenkins (long term politician and bureaucrat) The Hon Dr Brendan Nelson (long term politician and bureaucrat)

Ms. Linda Nicholls seems to be the only truly independent thinking member of this committee. So we should expect very little will get done or achieved based on the imbalance of this so called independent group of thinkers. 4 out of 5 will think and vote in favour of keeping our politicians happy and padded with all there entitlements.

To lead by example: Some federal entitlements should be abolished completely and others amended. The first entitlement that should be abolished is the “family travel benefit” were politician’s family members can fly business class around the country at no cost to themselves – paid by the taxpayer! How many private companies can afford this? There are many other job roles that require travel away from home for extended periods of time so being a politician does not uniquely have this work related issue. If they want family with them they should pay, not the taxpayer.

Secondly the politicians travel allowance should be reformed, a charge per use arrangement should be put in place, a maximum allowance is in place per location and this will be reimbursed monthly or quarterly. If a parliamentarian or government official chooses to stay privately in a property owned by themselves, family member or any known associate or family friend then an allowance will not be paid. This is the normal practice in the private sector in Australia. A politician who travels to Canberra and does not stay in a commercial property still receives a payment, this should be abolished.

There is also the recent ridiculous ruling by Administrative Appeals Tribunal and Executive Deputy President Gary Humphries (another defunct politician and career public servant) which will cost our country dearly. He has allowed comcare serial claimants achieve being paid their full salaries for their first 45 weeks off work and 75 per cent of their salary, plus medical and pharmacological expenses, until they either return to work or reach retirement age.

Back to common sense and responsibility, if you cannot deal with the responsibilities of your job either you find another job or your employer has the right to work through repositioning with you and if this fails, terminating your employment.

We the people of Australia should not be made to pay for people’s addiction to compensation. Weak people like Gary Humphries should be ashamed of themselves for crippling our country with weak decisions.

I want to see our government system both state and federal, become trustworthy and honest not weak and insipid.

There are much bigger issues that need attention with our country but first our politicians must lead by example. A bipartisan approach on rectifying these few issues by the two major parties would go a long way in moving forward. A vote by all politicians to rectify these few issues would show that they are not all about themselves and their political careers but they have an interest in our country and our people and they can lead by example.

I ask that the Senate to vote to:

Abolish the ‘family travel benefit’

Amend the ‘travel allowance’ to remove all payments if commercial accommodation is not used

Rewrite the senators and members entitlement handbook removing all grey areas as common sense cannot be guaranteed when making decisions. Politicians must pay for all there expenditure and then get it reimbursed after review by a non-government body specializing in private enterprise and small business cash management.

Make the Administrative Appeals Tribunal & Remuneration Tribunal panels include a minimum of 50% of the committees/boards/decision makers come from the private sector.

Rebuild the workplace laws and the people that administer it so that compensation addiction is not achievable and repositioning employees is achievable.