My oh my oh my...What a reaction to an old codgers post, seeking
advice on a country where he can have a better standard of life in his twilight years. Advise such as, you're doing the right thing Bill to, if you don't like Australia shove off Bill. I admit, the later was usually my war-cry...Till the start of this year when I read of the
money wasted, in Victoria alone, by our clever politician's. Wasted
money such as the $1 BILLION PLUS on a bloody transport ticketing system, and it still don't
work properly! Or the $4.8 BILLION for a desalination plant, we Victorians will be up to payout a
contract of $570 million A YEAR...
FOR 30 YEARS!
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I don't think I'll be around, for the next 30 years so I guess I should be happy I'll not be paying that tax.
We, the tax payers and pensioners pay for that monstrous loss of cash, while our brilliant politicians go merrily rolling along with their golden parachutes, more hundreds of millions of dollars, paid again by Australian tax payers. Quote:
Australian backbencher will get an extra $106 a week, taking their salary to $190,550.
Combined with the massive pay rise MPs received in March, the annual salary of a backbencher has increased by $49,640 compared with a year ago – about $1000 a week.
Prime Minister Julia Gillard's salary rises by $14,430 to $495,430, meaning she is earning a whopping $129,064 more than she was a year ago – or almost $2500 extra a week. Opposition Leader Tony Abbott receives a $10,267 increase, taking his annual salary to $352,517. End Quote.
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All that cash but very little for those who have worked hard for many years and some of whom today care for their loved-ones. Australian politician
waste BILLIONS of dollars while paying themselves a good salary, they also GUARENTE their own
retirement payout/pension.
Some Poly pensions: Quote: While pensioners have to survive on about $640 a fortnight, politicians receive pensions worth about twice the
average wage.
They include Liberal MP David Hawker, who recently enjoyed a taxpayer-funded trip to Mongolia and Bhutan, who'll receive about $120,000 a year.
Outgoing Finance Minister and
Member for Melbourne Lindsay Tanner, 54, will get $111,000 a year, while ACT Labor MP Bob McMullan hits the jackpot with nearly $130,000 a year.
Victorian Liberal Fran Bailey walks away with an annual pension of about $116,000.
Another Victorian, the outgoing
Member for Kooyong Petro Georgiou, will receive $91,000 a year.
Read More.
We're talking
PRICE INDEXED GUARENTED PENSIONS here folks...Not salaries!
I'm a firm believer in, an honest days work for an honest days pay, and, pay a man/woman what they're worth but going by the performance of our politicians...I ask you, are they not taking our money under false pretence?
Australian carers receive a fortnightly payment of $114.00, that equates to about $8.15c per 24 hour day or about 34 cents per hour and, most carers work 24/7/365.
With just a very small slice of the money wasted here in Victoria alone, carers and pensioners could be well looked after and would not, in most cases, squander the money.
As to the post on cigarettes, booze and
shopping on-line, I smoke but I don't drink, I seldom smoke in public places, mostly in my own home, surely I'm entitled to a gasper in my own home after working hard all these years? And I pay tax of
62.5% on my smokes.
I do shop on-line, have done since 1995, simply because I get a much better deal! For instance, my 1994 Land Rover Discovery TDi needed a new brake master cylinder so, I checked ALL our local car-parts retailers, the prices quoted ranged between $337 to $396!
So I checked with my Land Rover/Jaguar
parts supply
mob in Coventry,
England, they quoted me $234, postage to AU included! So I ordered the part. The part arrived in ten days. Three days later I received an
email, stating, we're sorry but we OVERCHARGED you by $97! The $97 has been transferred back to your bank! I checked and sure enough, the overcharge had been returned!
Total cost for the part...$137
postage included! Now that's what I call honest and great service.
I bought just one part...I wonder, just how much I would have paid were I to buy 1,000 units? $40, $50, $60 per unit or what!
I have bought many items on-line simply because the SAME item in AU was so much more expensive...Such as a full digital Home Theatre System, price local, $3,248,
same items imported, $1,079, Freight Included. Guess which HTS I bought and no...No cigar for getting it right.
I'm wondering just how many of the posters have
lived overseas for long periods of time, well longer than the two week holiday experts, and in what countries. I have lived and worked overseas for a good part of my life, after and during my merchant service and before returning to AU to settle down, I worked the middle east, the States,
Canada, a lot of
Europe, the UK,
South Africa and the Orient from
Turkey down as far as
India. In those days Afghanistan and most other places was a friendly place to live in. I have dealt with soldiers,
customs officers, agents, and many others in authority in many
parts of the world and I can honestly say, I seldom had big problems, a little bit of baksheesh and problem
solved. Those poor buggers (officials) were paid a pittance while I was a rich king in comparison, so I didn't mind slipping them a few bob for their help.
I do love Australia and our people but I'm NOT happy with our money grabbing, money wasting politicians, most of whom IMHO, could not get a job running a
Christmas raffle. Further to that, if you truly believe there is no corruption with our Australian officials and politicians...You must have rocks in your
head.
Cheers mates,
Bill
Australia