Public Service Bashing Politicians Enjoy Weekly Flights Home

By Nicholas Ward

Photo by Betootaadvocate

Following the sports rorts scandal it should be no surprise that Scomo has jumped on the liberal party’s long tradition of bashing the public service.

From Scomo claiming that minister who ‘live and breathe’ in their electorates know what their communities need better than ‘bureaucrats’. To former coalition sports minister Jackie Kelly attacking the apolitical public service as “unaccountable public servants [who have] their own axe to grind” on ABC’s the Drum.

The Coalition on the back foot after mishandling the fire response and now bungling pork barrelling is falling back on one of its strongest positions attack the public service.

It probably helps that the public service is contractually apolitical and can’t defend itself.

Since Tony Abbott’s election in 2013 the Liberal Party has engaged in slash and burn campaigns on public service benefits. Decrying the bloated public service with their ludicrous benefits.

Bloated fat cats who enjoy weekly return business class flights anywhere in Australia.

Guaranteed six figure pensions. Four-day work weeks. $6000 a month extra for ‘rent’. Working 2 to 3 months out of the year.

Hang on…

MP’s sorry those are all benefits MP’s have.

Yes, MP’s are provided weekly flights home for the gruelling 3 months they live in Canberra.

God forbid they live 3 months out of the year in the Nation’s capital. Not included in that list: a government car, with all petrol included. Charter flights up to $70’000 a year. Lifetime unlimited business class flights anywhere in Australia. An additional

$32’000 - $46’000 for ‘electorate allowances’. Oh, and that rental allowance many MP’s buy ‘investment properties’ that they then rent back to themselves at that exorbitant amount.

Malcom Turnbull attempted to curb MP benefits to heavy protest in 2017. Specifically, the life gold pass which entitled all retired politicians to a lifetime of Business class travel. Yes, that includes two term baby of the house 29 year old Wyatt Roy.

If hundreds of thousands of dollars in benefits isn’t an unjustifiable expense, then the public service must really be rolling in cash to draw the coalitions anger so.

So, what does the bloated public service get?

5-day work weeks. Pay significantly lower for management than the private sector. Economy class flights for work trips. Business class for SES (senior executive service) work travel. Constant political pressure interference and attacks.

But what does the public service even bring Australia? Multi-billion dollar trade deals? A vital service necessary for the functioning of a state? Dedicated employees who do the work of CEO’s and VP’s for salaries one tenth as generous as in the private sector with few to no private gains?

Yes, all of those.