Emails Questioning Politicians’ Age Of Entitlement..

There are some interesting emails about politicians and the end of the ‘Age of Entitlement’ zooming around at the moment – can’t ascertain their origin, but they are food for thought and/or a good public conversation.

Email No 1

The first I received said:

“When Joe Hockey famously made the statement “the age of entitlement is over” he conveniently left out politicians..

This is a proposal from the Australian people to our politicians to send them a clear message – ‘the age of entitlement of politicians’ is also over. They are servants of the public and they need to be reminded that they are entitled to no more than the rest of us mere mortals when they leave office.

It is a privilege to serve in an Australian parliament, not a pathway to a gold plated pension plan. It has to stop somewhere.”

The email continued with a:

[PROPOSED] CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM ACT
1. For Politicians, Tenure by election & No Pension.
– A Politician collects a substantial salary while in office and so should receive no pay when they’re out of office.

2. Politicians (past, present & future) participate in their own Superannuation scheme as do all other Australians – the Superannuation Guarantee Administration Act 1992 (SGAA).
– All funds in the Politician’s retirement fund move to the Centrelink system immediately. Politicians contribute to their superannuation the same way as ‘ordinary’ Australian people. Contributions may not be used for any other purpose.

3. Politicians can purchase their own retirement plan, just as most other working Australians are expected to do.

4. Politicians will no longer vote themselves a pay raise. (Or appoint the members of the tribunal that decides their pay raise). Pay will rise by the lower of CPI or 3%.

5. Politicians lose their current health care system and participate in the same health care system as the Australian people. i.e. either pay for private cover or Medicare.

6. Politicians must equally abide by all laws they impose on the Australian people.

7. All contracts with past and present Politicians are void, effective 31/12/14. The Australian people did not agree to the perks with Politicians.
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Email No. 2: Perhaps we should…

1. Scrap political pensions. Have politicians purchase their own retirement plans like every other working Australian.

2. Retired politicians to join Centrelink. A Politician collects a substantial salary while in office but should receive no salary when they are out of office. Politicians who are under 70 should get a job or apply to Centrelink for unemployment benefits like any other person.

3. Funds already allocated to the Politicians’ retirement fund should be put into Consolidated Revenue.

4. Politicians should no longer vote for their own pay increases and it should rise by no more than the CPI.

5. Politicians should lose their privileged health care system and instead participate in the same system as all of the people. They should either pay for their own private cover or simply accept Medicare.

6. Politicians must abide by all the laws they impose on the Australian people.

7. All contracts with past and present Politicians are void.

The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, so our politicians should serve their term(s) then go home and back to other work.

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On with the conversation