Another year, another polly on the ropes over expense claims. Sussan Ley has been on the receiving end of a media pommeling and the collective wisdom is she’s been a naughty minister. She has been dispatched to Coventry and the view is she should settle down and grow accustomed to her new home.
As an observer of various entitlements farragoes over the years, I think Ms Leys’ spending puts her in exalted company, somewhere between Peter Slipper and the guv’nor, Labor’s Mal Colston. Spending $21,000 in a week or so on transport is extraordinary. I didn’t even think it was possible. With those frequent flyer miles, you can forget about the carrot sticks and chardy in the Qantas club. It’s foot-long lobster subs and Moët by the schooner. Hell, they’ll get you your own plane. Maybe even let you fly it.
The Minchin Protocol always sounded like a bad novel and now as it comes to its denouement, it is about as satisfying as an EH Holden Mechanics’ manual or anything knocked out by Clementine Ford.
Full column here.
Dismayed 09:42pm.
You would do better doing some research like bloggers here telling you rather then all this bias guess work you often come up with.You mentioned the Guardian being the most “unqualified, unprofessional slow learning haters comes to success not even registering in the proficiency test of media. Lacking credentials , can’t even deliver a paper into papershops.
Your continuing farcical nonsense , further attracts bloggers , eg,..5 trillion Clinton left Bush , you showing signs or ‘wear an tear’ ranting on with exaggerations.
As for Hanson,..ask the people setting a furious pace jumping the fence into her back yard , don’t just rabble on at me just reporting current Richo reporting you goat! You seem a very mixed up bizzare fool trying to assert your manipulating crap potentially damaging your health leading to a path of treatment needed.
Just settle down man! GET your mind in order first please? Don’t whinge and come sooking to me !
BTW,..you fell short listing the concerns she makes public like,…scrap rorts, gold passes for politicians ex PMs , focus on women abuse with bad crimes inflicted on them , national security winning big votes there,, crime gang culture needs tidying up , greater powers on crimes, country folk representation, bush needs attention , bank rorting a policy ignored education reviews , get rid of PC garbage ,18Cneeds debate , stop all this political rorting of entitlements . Much more Dismayed you conveniently ignore .
Tidy yourself up please, fall into line, and act normally for a change!
Interesting comment from Sam Leith in The Guardian.
Article on Trump’s style – his rants etc.
He concludes that perhaps people will prefer an open liar to a conventional politician – and he’s got a point IMO.
Dismayed
I replied to you personal attack pages back.
I have looked in the mirror and have decided that Turnbull is aging better than myself,
I also have decided that, when caught out, you resort to personal attacks and waffle.
I am still waiting for the link that substantiates your claim that Clinton left Bush a $5 trillion surplus – you did repeat that figure twice in the entry so you must be sure of it.
So come on – put up or admit that you invented it!
I made No such personal attack. I made a comment you attacked me. I provided more evidence you continued to attack. I then suggested you go and have a look at yourself and ask a couple of question of yourself. That is hardly an attack. You have something wrong with you. I am not your receptionist or assistant. I am sure you have Breitbart in your favourites and can find whatever fantastical information you need to exclude or refute any evidence I present.
Hi JS,
Gross national debt for the U.S in 2000 was $5.6 trillion and rising, budget surplus was 236 billion, up from 69 billion in 1998 & 126 billion in 1999. U.S Treasury figures show the gross national debt rose each year Clinton was president, although he did manage a budget surplus through fiscal conservatism.
Many people believe he helped cause the GFC because of the changes to banking laws / regulations allowing too many tiers of lending in the financial sector, especially for mortgages.
As well, he presided over a USD that was vastly over-valued which helped his economic record too. I didn’t mind, was getting 2 for 1 at the time. Don’t hold your breath awaiting your query.
Projected surplus of $5 trillion until bush got in and increased debt 101%. Now JS accuses me of cherry picking. I am sure he will now admonish you for the same.
http://www.businessinsider.com.au/how-clinton-surplus-became-a-6t-deficit-2013-1
OK, it’s time for my new political party’s manifesto to take shape. I’m disappointed in a few of you who have been carping from the sidelines about whether Mr DT et al really exist(ed) but I’m sure he would have been the first paid-up member.
So let’s look at my first policy area – “entitlements” as far as politicians go:
If you are an ex prime minister/minister/parliamentary secretary or just a humble ex-member or senator, the day your sinecure ends is the day that you stop sucking off the public teat. No gold pass, no office, no staff, no money other than your pension. I’m sure you’ve cultivated enough business contacts at the footy or the races who will gladly give you a job. Ah, sorry – that might be stymied by one of my later rules.
If you are the prime minister go for your life, no restriction on travel expenses for you or your partner. Foreign ministers are free to travel anywhere overseas and their partners’ expenses will be paid – no questions asked. Any other politicians and their partners, family, nannies or pets will pay their own way for personal business.
If you are the treasurer/finance minister or in any way responsible for the governance or regulation of a financial institution or any other industry you will not accept an invitation from them to a Grand Final or any other major public event and claim it as parliamentary business. I know this might hamper your networking for a job when you are an ex-member. Sorry Mr (I love rugby) Ciobo – it’s not parliamentary business.
If you need to travel to Canberra (or anywhere else you or your family own a property) and you stay there for the night, you will not claim the daily accomodation entitlement.
If you’re pissed at a restaurant at midnight with a few colleagues and need to get home, you can get a taxi that you personally pay for or take the Comm car. Take the Comm car and we’ll charge your personal account or bill you for the FBT.
Prime ministers and partners get a free pass from all restrictions. I’m not a total grinch.
If you’re the foreign minister and invited to the polo – sorry, that’s not parliamentary business. Yes I know, there’s lot’s of foreigners there – mostly middle eastern airline executives who might give you an upgrade or job post-politics – which leads to my next point.
The Qantas chairman’s lounge is the most exclusive club in the country. You can’t buy membership, you have to be invited. No member of parliament will accept free membership of the lounge. I’ve seen the detritus of all parliamentary parties falling in and out of the secret doors at the end of a sitting week and it’s not pretty. So that leaves the Qantas Club. I’m happy for you to put your Qantas Club membership as a legitimate expense. After all, you do need to travel.
If you are a minister or parliamentary secretary you cannot be employed by private enterprise in any position remotely connected to your previous portfolio once you leave politics for 4 years. Oops, got a few on both sides there I think.
That’s about 10% of the policy position on entitlements. If anyone thinks I should have used capitals for (m)inister, (p)rime or any other position – sorry, they don’t deserve it.
The first thing a new political party needs is a catchy name and acronym. I’ve had one for a few years and will share it once it’s registered. I’m no activist but starting to get interested.
I can’t wait to share my party’s position on health, education, welfare, defence, industry etc.
So far we have you and Bassy standing for our new party, Mac. Can I be foreign minister please? I quite like the idea of unlimited. unrestricted travel. I’d make sure I was away somewhere most of the time. Thereby avoiding reality here……
Can I get mi inter for breweries and racing?
razor, i got introduced to a state minister for sport and tourism a while back and i thought that is a gig for me, especially as their tourism is basically wine and food.
I’d volunteer to be your border protection advisor, Mac but you haven’t left much room for me to claim trips for the purpose of shopping in Honkers or Singapore . . . oops, I mean, “fact-finding in our region”.
is shopping a euphemism?
According to current parliamentary rules, it’s whatever you want it to be, jack.
excellent, as for me shopping, as in purchasing clothes or goods of some kind, is like killing bin laden.
you get in, make kill, and get out again asap.
shopping, more broadly defined, is a much more attractive scenario.
Best wishes with your endeavour. Its lean pickings for the voter with the present lot. Neither major has a vision for the whole country, and the minors are a forgettable rabble. During the scandal this week I had to be insistent near rude when I wanted to have a word with my local member. If my local had been a minister I might not have got through at all. Polite but useless staffers playing shepherd for the ballrunner. Parliamentarians are too insulated from ordinary people. Bloke Average can’t be heard above the noise of party ideologies and vested interests. A party that can respond to the needs of the ordinary person and act on their concerns is needed. Its an odd idea, but something like a party of independents. I’m no activist – that part of my life lays behind – but I would support any party that gives Bloke Average a voice.
Whatever rope Turnbull had left ran out this week. Shorten also must be on thin ice. Offering weak bipartisan support for reform but doing nothing about his own side of the House didn’t bring glory. But here’s a tip for free Mac – before you start down this path, go to Cork and seek The Stone of Eloquence. It will be your greatest ally. 😉
Travis head weaving a subtle web….wonder if he likes Indian?
Mmm imagine what a better spin bowler like Maxwell could have done. It does look like Head is being given every opportunity just like he has in SA. Still only averages in the 34 in FC cricket with the bat though. He has failed to convert 50’s into hundreds. Then again so did S. Waugh until England 1989. His bowling is handy though. I still think M. Marsh should go back to No.6 in the test team.
Bassman .
Here is one for you on SHY from the Advertiser claiming entitlements $970 000 August 27th 2015 on her possy of friends and other bludges with snouts in the trough . This angered R Di Natalie to meltdown changing the rules on her and others . This followed when naval professionals scooted her out of the area interfering with proceedures with her trying to humiliate the already stretched services on boats at sea . She made rediculous claims just like she has done in the past back here leaving Di Natalie to take her away from immigration portfolio.
This is on the internet as proof after earlier media reports . so look it up.
Bassman, the problem is that Ley DID fly herself instead of taking a commercial flight. It’s way more expensive to charter a plane “wet” than fly commercial. If you want to carry passengers (eg partner), to retain the commercial pilot’s licence that Ley holds, you have to have had “3 take off’s and landings in the previous 90 days”.
Every time that Ms Ley (and partner) wanted to fly anywhere she must have satisfied that requirement.
Question for Ms Ley: when was the last time you personally paid for aircraft hire? If she won’t give an answer to that question she’s a rorter (and I had high hopes for her, living in an adjacent electorate).
Ley’s electorate is huge.
She has been flying around in it for yonks and I believe she owns a plane which she used during the election.
I think the electorate encompassing Kalgoorlie has the same problem.
I suspect chartering a plane and flying it herself is a darn side cheaper than chartering a plane along with a pilot.
I think you are concentrating on the wrong thing here.
There is a difference between using it to fly around here electorate and flying to destinations where there is a perfectly adequate (and cheaper) commercial service.
Everyone’s electorate is huge. This is Australia. Take a look at Grey, its massive. And yet, we have these things called commercial airlines, the others are making do with, sooooo maybe she’s just a self absorbed rorting bea-arch? We are better off without her sucking hard.
I’ve got no problem with Ley (or any other member) flying themselves in a charter to areas of their electorate where there is no commercial option and it’s further than say, 300kms.
Your comment begged the question how big, so I looked it up. Farrer is 126,580 sq km. Its the 2nd largest in NSW but only 1/3 the size of Parkes, 393,413 sq km.
The smallest electorate in Australia is Grayndler NSW a tiny 32 km.
The largest, Durack WA, 1,629,858 sq km; this is the second largest single member electoral division in the world, behind Nunavut, Canada, with 1,877,787 sq km. Next inline is Lingiari NT 1,352,371 sq km. Over to SA for Grey 904,881 sq km. Then its O’Connor WA with 868,576 sq km. Maranoa QLD is 731297 sq km and Kennedy QLD 568,993 sq km. These six electorates cover 6,124,703 most of the continent. Australia is 7,682,300 sq km.
In every one of these electorates, including Nunavut, Guinness is available. This is a global life support network for travelling paddys.
Sources of info.
Map from ABC of Australian electorates by size
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-06-16/huge-electorates-a-mental-and-physical-challenge-for-australia/7310496
Map from Guinness Breweries of Guinness outlets worldwide
https://www.guinness.com/en-us/where-to-buy/
That’s a very interesting point you have raised Mac. If that’s what she was up to it’s despicable.
Good to see Matthew Wade, another Dismayed reject, knock up a ton on the last ball of Australia’s ODI innings against Pakistan. He’s only the second number seven to do so for Australia, and outshone his more illustrious teammates who were less than impressive.
More so, he is clearly suffering the effects of stomach problems lingering from the last Test, and called for “refreshments” frequently. I had never heard of “pickle juice”, must look up the recipe. On a stinking hot day in Brisbane, it brought back memories of Dean Jones innings in India, which he has regaled me about several times. And Wade has come out to take the gloves, a gutsy effort.
So one good knock for the summer and you are comparing it to the Dean jones knock. You have proven again you have extremely limited understanding of the game. Regardless of who you brag about hanging with. Wade is nowhere near the best keeper in the country. Neville, Paine geez you could take just about any of the BigBash keepers and they would let less byes through than Wade, actually in test this summer I think he is in deficit on runs made versus byes conceded. That is before you consider missed stumping’s and dropped catches. Well done Matt. Wade for doing your job. Australia will have to bowl hundreds of overs in India Wade is not good enough to keep up to the stumps for half that time. If he does have stomach complaint then India is No place for him.
Typical childish response Dismayed.
I didn’t brag about knowing Dean Jones, just reflects your inferiority complex. I didn’t compare the knocks, just a recollection of brave efforts in tough conditions. Nothing would ever compare with Jones’ 210 in Madras (Chennai) in 1986.
You keep making your outrageous assertions, and the many here will keep belting then out of the park you sad example.
Hardly. What you did is now called “humblebragging” You have some sort of anger just like Razor when shown up and immediately resort to projecting your own issues. “Nothing is more deceitful,” said Darcy, “than the appearance of humility. It is often only carelessness of opinion, and sometimes an indirect boast.” – Jane Austen
Oh I suppose if S. Marsh finally makes runs in the Big bash tonight that proves he should be in the test eleven if we follow your form guide???? HAHAHAHAH
The 16 man squad includes Renshaw, Handscomb, Shaun Marsh, Lyon and Matt Wade as the only keeper. You are a bloody genius Dismayed.
And now to the side’s prospects in India, where we haven’t won since 2004. It is a big ask, and I wish them well. Some reputations will be enhanced, and more than a couple destroyed methinks.
an old melbourne mate used to describe dean jones as the pat cash of cricket.
it may not have been a compliment.
Well that’s a bit tough Jack. We used to celebrate the Aussie larrikin, and Jonesy was right in the catagory. His efforts in ODI matches really set up the crowd support for one dayers in Autralia.
Google the story of that innings in Madras. When he was so debilitated he was pissing in his pants, he told Border at the other end he had to go off. Border said ok go, I’ll get a real man out here, a Queenslader ( Ritchie was next in). Jones hung in and went to the Break in a terrible state. His teammates disrobed him and put him in an ice bath, and he went back out. He was so broken at the end of play he ended up in hospital, and Border confessed later that he thought he’d killed him.
I had the benefit of interviewing Dean at the MCG for a motivational video for our sales staff, and we talked for an hour because he was so engaging. Sure things went pear shaped, including his marriage breakdown, but I have rarely met an elite sportsman with as much charisma.
I see imperial Dictator trump says the Intelligence agencies are Nazis??? I thought he was their Supreme Executive and Commander in Chief. freak
Only 6 days from tomorrow, Saturday, Dismayed till we have Donald Trump as POTUS. Do I detect a wee bit of concern or dislike for this new style leader of the free world? Perhaps give him a year or so and we all may be pleasantly surprised! Our Nicole Kidman is right behind him given her supportive statements today.
Yes he is. Refreshingly candid description, but we shall see who is in charge of whom after a little fireside chat with the Secret Services after the inauguration. Cue Bill Hicks “new President”.
If he gets that far. That smug look on Pence’s face is a bit unnerving. Wait! He speaks! ” Sadly the President elect was fired today, in a manner of speaking…………….. ”
In the mean time, Trump the master of diversionary tactics…………………..
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-01-14/donald-trump-reprising-campaign-attacks-on-hillary-clinton/8181914
Mark down 20th October as another Blue ribbon day for the coalition. Holden will close on that day. The coalition have run out of the country an automotive industry that was putting $$ billions back into the National economy for the lowest level of co-investment of any car making county on the planet so they could fund Kevin Andrews marriage counselling services and put untrained religious chaplins instead of trained professional into schools. Possibly 100K jobs will be lost due to the flow on effects provided by the automotive industry. The coalitions plan is a slogan jobsandgrowth. oh and $1 billion for project that will never take place.
Far out, that’s exactly the sort of shocking idiocy we’ve become used to with the Abbott/Turnbull experiment. They pay infinite lip service to slogans like Jobs & Growth in the hope that if it’s said out loud often enough the dummies will believe it.
Thanks for the heads up on the Age article Dismayed. Believe me Turnbull enjoys brown-nosing with Japan (they take him to a special little teahouse for tea) & in turn, Turnbull lets them grenade-harpoon hundreds of often pregnant sentient beings in a Sanctuary.
ABE arrived today for ‘talks’ so watch this space for an update on just how gutless, gutless can be.
My best, Bella
With cheap energy we could keep all our manufacturing industries.
One of the worst decisions ever made and will reverberate for a generation.