OPINION
It appears that the Albanese government is living by the advice of Pope Leo X. Since 32% of voters have given them government, they are determined to enjoy it. As politicians are wont to do, they’re living large on the taxpayer’s dollar. But it’s surely not a good look to be handing themselves a massive pay rise at the same time that ordinary Australians are getting belted by a cost-of-living crisis.
Federal MPs are to receive a 4 per cent pay rise – their biggest in a decade – that will take Anthony Albanese’s salary to $586,929 a year.
That’s only slightly less than Joe Biden’s $620k AUD, and considerably more than Rishi Sunak’s $322k AUD.
Even Albo’s deputy is out-earning the British PM.
Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles is paid 105 per cent on top of the base salary, with the 4 per cent rise taking his salary from $444,973 to $462,772.
The Australian
But if Australia’s deputy PM and Defense Minister is trousering less directly from the taxpayer, in salary, he’s apparently determined to give even “Airbus Albo” a run for his money, when it comes to scarfing up other perks of office.
Defence Minister Richard Marles has defended his $3m-plus use of VIP planes since being sworn into office and has dodged questions over whether he was taking his golf clubs on the flights that are supposed to be reserved for government business.
The Australian
Marles obviously learned from his time in opposition, when Labor forced the resignation of then-Speaker Bronwyn Bishop over a $5,000 helicopter flight. On coming into government, Marles took steps to overturn a half-century old convention of transparency over politicians’ use of taxpayer-funded military flights, claiming “security”.
Mr Marles, who has the power to book the flight for himself and others as Defence Minister, won’t publicly confirm whether some or all of the flights are his own bookings, citing new “security advice”.
That has forced journalists and others to try to piece together where he’s been flying from flight tracker data because he refuses to say where he’s going despite detailing some of his movements in real time on Instagram.
News.com.au
Yep, flights so top-secret that it’s ok to post fatuous selfies, but not come clean with the taxpayers funding this lavish lifestyle.
It was reported last month that Mr Marles spent $16,000 to take a VIP flight from Labor’s national conference in Brisbane to watch the Matildas’ semi-final against England in Sydney.
It was also revealed he had clocked up $3.6m in VIP flights since April 2022 […]
In question time on Monday, opposition defence spokesman Andrew Hastie asked Mr Marles whether he had taken his golf clubs on official business or whether anyone outside of his family, personal or departmental staff had travelled with him on VIP flights.
“Can the minister confirm whether he has taken his golf clubs with him on any defence, VIP special-purpose aircraft flights, and if so on how many flights,’’ Mr Hastie asked […]
Mr Marles refused to reveal whether he travelled with his golf clubs on VIP flights, but has played golf at one of the most exclusive golf courses in the US.
The Australian
As I’ve warned many times, though, politicians who unleash the dogs of scandal might want to take care that they’re not concealing a few tasty treats the hounds might get a whiff of.
And politicians who bang on the most about “integrity” are too often the shiftiest bastards on the face of the planet.
Defence Minister Richard Marles will face a Senate vote to reveal his flights on VIP aircraft after weeks of dispute over the $3.6 million cost of the flights, as Labor faces a test on transparency amid criticism from independent MPs […]
Tasmanian MP Andrew Wilkie united with six teal MPs, who were elected on an integrity platform last election, to express disappointment about the Albanese government’s commitment to transparency and the non-release of key information on climate change and VIP planes.
“Teals” and “integrity” are usually only used together as a punch-line.
Especially when it comes to Monique Ryan.
Independent MPs Monique Ryan and Zoe Daniel have declared they would be willing to publish their own travel expenses to display their commitment to transparency.
But we already know all we need to about Mongo’s travel expenses. This is the climate warrior who, as a minor party nobody MP, racked up 27 taxpayer-funded business class flights in just one year. Mongo also faced legal action from a former staffer, who claimed she was sacked by the MP after raising the issue of unreasonable working hours.
Yet the Teals manage to say this with a straight face:
Another teal MP, Kylea Tink, claimed the government failed to protect whistleblowers and Labor was proving that “when it comes to governing, it’s far easier to call for transparency from opposition than it is to deliver it when given the opportunity”.
The Age
Yes, Teals — it is, isn’t it?