Cass Ilia, Adelaide
In the wake of the revelations that Liberal MP Trish Draper took a friend on a $10,000 study trip to Europe at taxpayers’ expense, Socialist Alliance activist Tom Bertuleit has announced that, if elected, he would renounce all the perks due to MPs.
It was revealed on May 19 that Draper had contravened parliamentary rules in taking the trip, as the friend did not fit the classification of “domestic partner”.
“What must be particularly galling to the typical `Aussie battler’”, Bertuleit said, “is that these politicians already enjoy pay, privileges and perks that are well beyond the reach of the vast majority of people and there is no need for them to dishonestly claim perks to which they are not entitled”.
Bertuleit contrasted the 30% of MPs who have contravened the rules to the 0.02% of welfare recipients convicted of defrauding the system, pointing out theat the coalition spent more time and money pursuing the unfortunate than the privileged.
“Most people have heard of Queensland MP Mal Colston’s rorts”, he said. “And most of us were disgusted when he was let off because he was sick — would a welfare recipient who took a fraction of that been let off? I think not.”
In contrast, Bertuleit said that a Socialist Alliance member elected as an MP would:
* Only take the average wage of a skilled worker and devote the rest of that money to building campaigns that benefit the community and the environment; and
* Work towards ending the unfair and unjustified lurks and perks of the career politicians currently in parliament. This will help to get rid of those that are in politics for their own gain.
From Green Left Weekly, June 23, 2004.
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