Here’s what else John Key and Bill English* just dropped into your Christmas stocking this week: a pay rise for every MP. Every single one of them.
While many people struggle financially at Christmas, politicians will be enjoying early holiday cheer with a pay rise.
The independent Remuneration Authority has again made an end of year recommendation for a pay increase for the MPs.
Prime Minister John Key said said today he was comfortable with politicians getting more in their pay packets this year.
Arsehole.
While you and I get a tax rise from this creep—in a week in which they hope you won’t notice and won’t remember by next year—the overpaid Beehive bludgers give themselves a pay rise. Perhaps as a reward for all their excellent work this year? [Insert
What a fucking disgrace.
Oh yes, and their pay rise will be backdated, “giving politicians a Christmas lump sum.”
Words fail me.
* * * * *
* Don’t give me that bullshit about how the “Remuneration Authority” is “independent”—they’re about as independent as the Treasury, whose fictional projections of rapidly-falling unemployment and balanced budgets by 2014/15 would be laughable if not so obviously shilling for the government. If Bill and John wanted the pay rise annulled, they could stop it by the flick of a pen. Instead, Key has “written back [to the Authority] saying in principle we're comfortable” with the recommended pay rise.
Is he really that desperate for MPs’ votes?
16 comments:
I bet if their pay was linked to performance like people with real jobs rather than professional unionists, the deficit would be gone by lunchtime.
***BASTARDS.***
I have an idea for the Libertarianz. Make one of your core policies the **scrapping of the Higher Salaries Commission**.
***NO MORE ANNUAL AUTOMATIC PAY-RISES FOR MPS!!!***
Ok, if the commission were scrapped, some other way of setting MPs salaries would be needed, but I'm sure it's possible to find a way of doing that.
Sorry - I meant the "Remunerations Authority" in my previous post.
"A turd by any other name....."
A mad idea, but it's Xmas and I am drinking regularly, so here goes:
- Permanent freeze on all politicians' salaries, except when they cut taxes (net taxes), in which case they can get a pay rise equivalent to the % cut in total tax take.
May even be generous and let all of the bastards get the rise even those voting against it. Incentivises the flotsam and jetsam minority parties to think hard.
I wouldn't begrudge them a 5% uplift if tax as a proportion of GDP dropped 5%.
Of course the counterfactual should be true too. The argument that they lose in tax too is circular - MPs salary "tax" is as relevant as welfare recipients' "tax".
Not a bad idea, libertyscott!
I remember someone somewhere suggesting that MPs' salaries be capped at "x" times the minimum wage. That would mean that if they wanted an increase, they would have to raise the minimum wage.
IMO, that system beats the current RORT hands-down. At least it would mean that lots of other people gain from MPs greed.
With their newly-replaced BMW 7 series limos, their free air travel, their generous expense accounts and their beefed-up security contingents, they're looking more and more like Soviet Politburo members every day.
Yep, Kiwiwit - not to mention the gold-plated super scheme that they gave themselves.
Anyone who reckons that there is no "corruption" in New Zealand is living in la-la land. This rort is proof of it.
Please, please do it, Libertarianz! Promise to axe the "Remunerations Authority" (and maybe link MPs salaries to the minimum wage as I've suggested.)
**That policy alone** would *surely* result in **twenty times** the votes that you are now getting.
Oh, and while you are at it - *make Parliamentary Services* subject to the Official Information Act.
They are *exempt* from it at the moment. There's another bloody rort that needs to be got rid of.
How about a "Clean up Parliament" policy package?
* Remuneration Authority to be axed.
* MPs salaries to be fixed at "x" times the minimum wage ("x" to be determined).
* Pledge to axe the gold-plated super scheme. If it can be voted in, it can be voted OUT.
* Pledge to open Parliamentary Services to the Official Information Act.
* Pledge to axe the free travel perk for MPs.
* Pledge to axe any other MPs perks not listed here. MPs get paid enough to pay for everything THEMSELVES.
* Look at setting up an Independent Commission Against Corruption (as I believe Australia has).
The Libertarianz party has ONE big advantage over any other party.
***You have NOTHING to lose.*** You can hardly do worse than at present.
BE BOLD! You can *afford* to be bold.
A "clean up Parliament" policy package would get you **20,000 votes**.
People have had a GUTSFUL of the CORRUPT, self-serving lifestyles of MPs. You can pledge to CHANGE that.
How about x = 0.5?
However, the minimum wage is something that needs to be removed, so perhaps use a different basis such as the average wage.
And these mongrels are the same
politicians who are illegally and immorally racially dividing our country every day with their ugly race-based policies and rules - and their race-based GIFTS which they call "Treaty settlements"! They should all be in jail, I think, rather than getting pay rises!
This is outrageous when many businesses are barely surviving and living off savings and loans to stay afloat and families struggling to just survive. Shame on the Higher Salaries Commission come and live in the real world of the average hard working Kiwi.
Pay should be market tested - meaning, if the supply of the quality of MPs required is too low, then increase the price, if it's too high, increase the pay rate.
There seems to be a big surplus of people who the electorate is willing to hire, so cut the pay until political parties have trouble getting people to stand.
I will stand for parliament for $0 per year. Swarms of other people seem to be willing to stand and they do all they can to hang onto their privileged position, so it seems easy enough to get people to offer their services.
Also, cut the number of MPs to 100. Most of ministries could be disestablished. Then cut the number of MPs further until there is something like a dozen.
Repealing laws and regulations should be the main order of business.
For example, the ministry of tourism could be cut to none. If tourists want to come to NZ, they are welcome to do so.
Trade negotiation staff could be cut to none. If other countries want to ban or tax NZ imports, let them do so.
The ministry of women's affairs could be gone by lunch-time. If women want to have affairs, they can arrange their own. It's not as though women can't be Queen, prime minister, chief justice, governor general, boss of big companies, or any other thing they want to do.
And so on...
The fuels specification organisation could be dumped. I used to do that job for BP Oil part time but now it takes a whole group of them to do a bad job. If BP sells bung fuel, people won't buy it.
etc...
Maurice Winn
Just sucks eh. While people are losing their jobs and living off food banks. Golly, more than words fail me.
Key is indeed a velvet glove puppet.
You still don't get it - why should MPs get paid in the first place?
If you are unable to take personal responsibility to provide for yourself and your family, both now and in the future - if you've lived in a state house, gone to a state school, poly, uni, state hospital, recieved EQC or ACC or WFF or a benefit (or any of your family's done the same)
then you're clearly not the right material to be an MP.
Gee. Problem solved. No minimum wage, no benefits, and certainly no MPs pay!
(And before some loser whinges about the Labour or Green parties paying them MP - in a free country with an independent commission against corruption then corrupt-by-design bodies such as unions, Labour, Greens etc would be as illegal as any other corrupt criminal organisation like the Mongrel Mob - and treated in the same way - with AR-15s.
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