Mps Scramble For Even More Perks
Sun Herald
Sunday November 24, 2002
JOB vacancies in the Carr Government are causing a stampede to find two new Cabinet ministers, a Speaker, a Leader of the House, a Government Whip and a couple of parliamentary secretaries.
The job descriptions are mouth-watering: six-figure salaries, a team of personal staff, chauffeur-driven cars, a generous expense allowance and a taxpayer-funded, fully indexed superannuation scheme.
While a private member receives $98,300 plus an electoral allowance of $32,000 to $67,000, a minister pockets $189,700 as well as the electorate allowance.
Moving from the backbench to the frontbench elevates the lucky MP into the silk department.
On top of the standard perks such as free phones, mobiles, faxes and postage, and free air travel in Australia, ministers enjoy overseas trips travelling first class, the best seats at restaurants, the members' front row at the football and cricket and police escorts and bodyguards whenever deemed necessary.
With plum jobs on offer if the government retains office at the March election, factional bosses are elbowing their chosen candidates into contention with all the sophistication of a scene from The Sopranos.
© 2002 Sun Herald