It’s an unpopular opinion, but I do believe politicians should be well paid. I believe they should travel well and have access to reasonable entitlements.
Our Parliamentarians, including Senators, receive a base pay of $199,040 per annum or a monthly base salary of $16,586.67, as well as a number of entitlements and allowances. It’s much more than the average Australian – particularly the average woman working full-time, but it’s a salary designed to reflect the big job they have to do: to debate and vote on legislation that can greatly affect the lives of Australians, particularly those they represent in their electorates.
What bothers me is when they don’t do that job, or find decisions so difficult, or their own internal party politics so tough to navigate, that they slack off on the job.
Soon parliament will make a decision on whether they should hand another decision over to the Australian people. That initial decision is on legislating a plebiscite on marriage equality. Our elected officials are hoping to outsource this decision because trying to figure it out among themselves — and retain pecking order amongst their own teams, is proving too difficult.
Worse, even after outsourcing their decision, it seems a number of such officials seem unwilling to accept the verdict. Instead, asking Australian tax payers to fork up almost half a billion dollars for a public vote that could be meaningless. Really, such a vote — along with the associated divisive debate that will occur — is just an opportunity to procrastinate on major social reform. We all know marriage equality is inevitable, some just don’t want to have to deal with it right now.
Meanwhile, our Senate’s become a mix of egos and vendettas, where decisions will be horse-traded and used to negotiate on personal agendas.
Cory Berndardi’s spent his first few days on the job getting the signatures of a number of Senate backbenchers to support a motion changing a couple of words in Section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act. That’s been his priority, and conveniently a great opportunity to undermine his own party leader.
One Nation’s Pauline Hanson’s spent her first few days on the job offering yet more valuable contributions to the national agenda. She told a Sky News Senate discussion that Australians are paying for people “of Muslim background” who’re out there “actually having four wives, numerous children, they’re getting into housing commission houses”.
Not to mention, a certain Senator who couldn’t even stay awake during the first day or formalities. Derryn Hinch was photographed getting some shut-eye during a welcoming address by Governor-General Peter Cosgrove.
Hinch later said he was “just resting the eyes for a minute”. It’s been a busy week with late-night interviews, meetings to attend, agendas to set, and the Senate bell ringing.
You know what? I’m exhausted too. I’ve had a big week managing sick kids, business meetings, a household, and one very big deadline. I’d love to nod off during the boring moments, but like most unelected Australians, I don’t have that opportunity.
That’s life. It’s exhausting.