Sarah Hanson-Young is the latest to hit the headlines, slugging taxpayers for travel on the same day she received VIP tickets to attend the Gay Mardi Grae. She justifies this as, promoting equality is part of my job. You don’t need to pay hundreds of dollars to attend a gay pride party to do that.
….. NONE of this; family holidays, travel to gay pride parties, private planes to football matches, helicopter rides, accepting expensive tickets, privately funded overseas jaunts passes the ‘is it the right thing to do’ test. If our politicians cannot see right from wrong on this issue then how can we trust them to do right by us. The simple answer is we can’t.
If you behaved in business as many of our politicians have, you would be booted out the door quick smart. I’ve worked with people, who in fact have been fired (rightly so) for lavish spend on their company credit card. I’ve worked for large multi-nationals where the acceptance of free gifts was strictly forbidden. To do so, was instant dismissal. As it should be for politicians. The reason is very simple; you leave yourself open to corruption and suspicion. Why risk it.
Politicians have to attend events. It’s expected. From time to time that means taking a partner and this may include air travel, accommodation and limo hire. But it must pass the ‘sniff’ test; be within their electorate, be associated with their portfolio, deliver a quantifiable benefit to taxpayers and the country as a whole. If it can’t, then it must not be allowed.
Under no circumstances, should politicians be allowed to use taxpayers money for family holidays. I sense many within the electorate have been stunned to learn they do. I suspect many taxpayers cannot afford family holidays, so to discover they are paying for well paid politicians families, must be galling.
Prime Minister Abbott has committed to cleaning this up. We will hold him to account. I would go one step further. I would ask for a review of expense claims for all current lower and upper house members going back 5-years. Yes, it will cost, but I believe it is important.
The member will then publish the findings and the electorate can then be the judge. I have a suspicion, that some of the more sanctimonious amongst the ‘current crop’ may just be found wanting.
Let’s hope Mr Abbott addresses this swiftly, and the outcome meets ‘the electorate sniff’ test.
