Post by Willow on Jun 14, 2016 10:46:47 GMT 9.5
we need to tackle this next - pollies with not much hope of winning standing for elections. Its a tricky one though, we don't want to make it so only wealthy people can run either ....
Anybody who read Rob Oakeshott’s memoir — and let’s face it, there weren’t many — could be forgiven for being left with the impression that the reason he has decided to run for parliament again is the money.
Oakeshott’s book, The Independent Member for Lyne, was a misery memoir. He was disillusioned with politics. He missed his family. He was “physically and mentally” a “mess”. He often felt overwhelmed. It may help explain why he took 17 minutes to announce he supported a minority Labor government in 2010.
He was also struggling financially. He had made some bad investments. He had a wife and young children to support. He was so strapped for cash and “knee-deep in debt” that he hung up his washing in his office and scoured diplomatic buffets around Canberra looking for a free feed.
“To see your personal finances go from positive to negative applies enormous pressure on all parts of your life,” Oakeshott wrote. “We had to sell the family home we loved, which was excruciating. Even being in the national spotlight of forming government could not match our private money pressure.”
So why on earth would he return to parliament? It is unlikely to be because of the policy issues. He had an opportunity to stand on his record by recontesting his seat of Lyne at the 2013 election. But, knowing he would be on a hiding to nothing, he squibbed it.
Is it vanity? Politics, after all, is show business for ugly people. Some politicians are motivated by principles but many enjoy the limelight more. Is Oakeshott suffering from what Gareth Evans described as relevance deprivation syndrome?
All signs in the misery memoir point to money. If Oakeshott returns to parliament, he will earn a not so meagre base salary of $199,040 a year. He will also be entitled to an electorate allowance of at least $32,000 that can be taken as taxable salary, plus generous travel allowances. Good money if you can get it.
Forget the nonsense about needing to pay our politicians more; our politicians are among the highest paid in the world. If you are lucky to climb the greasy pole all the way to the top and become prime minister, you will earn more than the US president or British prime minister.
But Oakeshott does not need to win the seat to boost his bank balance. Taxpayers will reward him financially if he loses.
If he receives more than 4 per cent of the vote, his $1000 nomination fee will be refunded. He also earns $2.62 for every vote received. There could hardly be a more scandalous aspect of our electoral laws than paying people to lose.
Oakeshott probably doesn’t really want to win. “It’s not about winning or losing,” he said last week. “It’s about going through the process and it’s about inviting people to have a choice.” He’s treating the voters like mugs.
Following the electoral redistribution, Oakeshott’s home town of Port Macquarie has shifted into the seat of Cowper, held by the lacklustre Nationals MP Luke Hartsuyker, who was recently dumped from the ministry. So that’s why he is running in Cowper and not Lyne.
Although it is unlikely Oakeshott will win Cowper, held by a margin of 13.1 per cent, it could prove to be very lucrative.
If he manages to secure between 10,000 and 20,000 votes, he could pocket $26,200 to $52,400.
Not bad for three weeks’ work. The Greens received 10,685 votes in 2013. The Palmer United candidate received 5739 votes.
Leaving his decision to run until nominations closed last week, Oakeshott has minimised his campaign expenditure and can rely mostly on free media coverage. As a former federal MP (2008-13) and state MP for Port Macquarie (1996-2008), he is already getting attention.
He once railed against the insidious influence of “grubby” money in politics and called for reform to donation laws. What about public funding? If Oakeshott is a principled man, he will offer to donate any public funding he receives to a charity.
Oakeshott is not the only former MP seeking re-election. Tony Windsor is also hoping to return as the member for New England. Windsor is certainly motivated by issues. But why didn’t he contest his seat in 2013? His pursuit of Barnaby Joyce looks driven more by personal animosity than principle.
There are plenty within Labor who believe former treasurer and deputy prime minister Wayne Swan should quit politics.
And some Coalition MPs have told this columnist that former prime minister Tony Abbott should also move on to greener pastures.
The difference with Swan (Lilley) and Abbott (Warringah) is that after being in parliament for more than two decades, they hardly need the money. They both feel they can serve their parties as elder statesmen, contribute to the national political debate and continue to serve their constituencies well.
A number of independent MPs are also seeking re-election. Bob Katter (Kennedy), Andrew Wilkie (Denison) and Cathy McGowan (Indi) are also hoping to be re-elected to parliament. But they are not former MPs with inflated egos, missing the limelight and hoping to make money.
Few politicians know when to retire or stay retired. Sophie Mirabella (Indi), Mike Kelly (Eden-Monaro) and Janelle Saffin (Page) are further examples. But the most egregious is Pauline Hanson, a serial failed candidate promulgating a repulsive agenda. Hanson has made a career out of losing seats to collect taxpayer funds.
Politics should be a noble profession that attracts the best and brightest to serve their country. This may by optimistic. There was never a golden age in Australian politics. But the voters deserve better than the bottom-feeders, has-beens and wannabes who all too often appear on the ballot paper.
Anybody who read Rob Oakeshott’s memoir — and let’s face it, there weren’t many — could be forgiven for being left with the impression that the reason he has decided to run for parliament again is the money.
Oakeshott’s book, The Independent Member for Lyne, was a misery memoir. He was disillusioned with politics. He missed his family. He was “physically and mentally” a “mess”. He often felt overwhelmed. It may help explain why he took 17 minutes to announce he supported a minority Labor government in 2010.
He was also struggling financially. He had made some bad investments. He had a wife and young children to support. He was so strapped for cash and “knee-deep in debt” that he hung up his washing in his office and scoured diplomatic buffets around Canberra looking for a free feed.
“To see your personal finances go from positive to negative applies enormous pressure on all parts of your life,” Oakeshott wrote. “We had to sell the family home we loved, which was excruciating. Even being in the national spotlight of forming government could not match our private money pressure.”
So why on earth would he return to parliament? It is unlikely to be because of the policy issues. He had an opportunity to stand on his record by recontesting his seat of Lyne at the 2013 election. But, knowing he would be on a hiding to nothing, he squibbed it.
Is it vanity? Politics, after all, is show business for ugly people. Some politicians are motivated by principles but many enjoy the limelight more. Is Oakeshott suffering from what Gareth Evans described as relevance deprivation syndrome?
All signs in the misery memoir point to money. If Oakeshott returns to parliament, he will earn a not so meagre base salary of $199,040 a year. He will also be entitled to an electorate allowance of at least $32,000 that can be taken as taxable salary, plus generous travel allowances. Good money if you can get it.
Forget the nonsense about needing to pay our politicians more; our politicians are among the highest paid in the world. If you are lucky to climb the greasy pole all the way to the top and become prime minister, you will earn more than the US president or British prime minister.
But Oakeshott does not need to win the seat to boost his bank balance. Taxpayers will reward him financially if he loses.
If he receives more than 4 per cent of the vote, his $1000 nomination fee will be refunded. He also earns $2.62 for every vote received. There could hardly be a more scandalous aspect of our electoral laws than paying people to lose.
Oakeshott probably doesn’t really want to win. “It’s not about winning or losing,” he said last week. “It’s about going through the process and it’s about inviting people to have a choice.” He’s treating the voters like mugs.
Following the electoral redistribution, Oakeshott’s home town of Port Macquarie has shifted into the seat of Cowper, held by the lacklustre Nationals MP Luke Hartsuyker, who was recently dumped from the ministry. So that’s why he is running in Cowper and not Lyne.
Although it is unlikely Oakeshott will win Cowper, held by a margin of 13.1 per cent, it could prove to be very lucrative.
If he manages to secure between 10,000 and 20,000 votes, he could pocket $26,200 to $52,400.
Not bad for three weeks’ work. The Greens received 10,685 votes in 2013. The Palmer United candidate received 5739 votes.
Leaving his decision to run until nominations closed last week, Oakeshott has minimised his campaign expenditure and can rely mostly on free media coverage. As a former federal MP (2008-13) and state MP for Port Macquarie (1996-2008), he is already getting attention.
He once railed against the insidious influence of “grubby” money in politics and called for reform to donation laws. What about public funding? If Oakeshott is a principled man, he will offer to donate any public funding he receives to a charity.
Oakeshott is not the only former MP seeking re-election. Tony Windsor is also hoping to return as the member for New England. Windsor is certainly motivated by issues. But why didn’t he contest his seat in 2013? His pursuit of Barnaby Joyce looks driven more by personal animosity than principle.
There are plenty within Labor who believe former treasurer and deputy prime minister Wayne Swan should quit politics.
And some Coalition MPs have told this columnist that former prime minister Tony Abbott should also move on to greener pastures.
The difference with Swan (Lilley) and Abbott (Warringah) is that after being in parliament for more than two decades, they hardly need the money. They both feel they can serve their parties as elder statesmen, contribute to the national political debate and continue to serve their constituencies well.
A number of independent MPs are also seeking re-election. Bob Katter (Kennedy), Andrew Wilkie (Denison) and Cathy McGowan (Indi) are also hoping to be re-elected to parliament. But they are not former MPs with inflated egos, missing the limelight and hoping to make money.
Few politicians know when to retire or stay retired. Sophie Mirabella (Indi), Mike Kelly (Eden-Monaro) and Janelle Saffin (Page) are further examples. But the most egregious is Pauline Hanson, a serial failed candidate promulgating a repulsive agenda. Hanson has made a career out of losing seats to collect taxpayer funds.
Politics should be a noble profession that attracts the best and brightest to serve their country. This may by optimistic. There was never a golden age in Australian politics. But the voters deserve better than the bottom-feeders, has-beens and wannabes who all too often appear on the ballot paper.