The Gravy Plane: Taxpayers funding *Retired* Frequent Flyer Politicians
Australian newspapers like to keep tabs on our collective tax contributions to fund the 'Gold Pass' free flights for life that Aussie pollies can (amazingly, they still can) qualify for.
It would be interesting to see if this extremely generous retirement perk (a 'gold pass' or its equivalent - unlimited free flights) is something that ex-leaders or long-serving politicians, can get in other juristictions.
Quote:
The gravy plane: 20,000 freebies [SMH]
FORMER federal MPs are flying high on the gravy plane by claiming an astonishing 20,000 taxpayer-funded flights around Australia since 2001 worth more than $8.3 million.
A special investigation by the Herald, based on documents obtained under freedom of information, reveals 272 former politicians and widows of former MPs have enjoyed holidays and other travel under the Life Gold Pass scheme, despite no longer representing voters.
One in four of those in this elite club have claimed more than 100 trips each, with 11 chalking up a bill of more than $100,000. This is on top of generous superannuation benefits.
Maybe not in this particular form, but in a sense I'm sure it exists in other places as well. Someone who has served a term in a national body, such as parliament, can benefit from HUGE pensions (on top of their regular pensions). I know that is the case in Romania. While it may not be a Gold Pass per se, it's enough money that they can afford to fly pretty much whenever and where ever they choose.
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An update - some of these flights were for sacked/disendorsed ex-pollies' holidays:
Quote:
Grounded senator landed $48,000 worth of flights in six months [SMH]
...taxpayers have given the former senator Ruth Webber an extraordinary $48,516 consolation prize. The former ALP official has lodged a bill of $8086 a month for air travel under the Gold Pass scheme.
The revelation comes amid calls for an independent audit of the "gravy plane" scheme after the Herald yesterday revealed former MPs had taken 20,000 free flights since 2001, worth $8.3 million.
The Greens leader, Bob Brown, wrote to the Special Minister of State, Joe Ludwig, yesterday, asking him to appoint an independent arbiter to rule if flights by former MPs were in the public interest after it was also revealed trips were taken to holiday spots such as Hamilton Island.
"The case for ex-MPs travelling should be confined totally to the public interest," Senator Brown said.
He said it appeared to be a "system of politicians setting up future favours for themselves".
I imagine that charging the taxpayer for 60 business class flights in six months isn't an ethical issue for the person pictured. Quite a rort, IMO!
Quote:
Ms Webber, who was a West Australian senator for one term, took 60 flights in just six months after her term expired in July last year. From her base in Perth, she charged the taxpayer $48,516 for flights to Hamilton Island, Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, Brisbane and Hobart.
Mr Sercombe, who had his western Melbourne seat snatched by Bill Shorten, chalked up 53 flights costing $29,898 to Cairns, Brisbane, Sydney, Perth and Canberra.
Quote:
Another who lost preselection, Labor's Ann Corcoran, chalked up 38 flights, costing $18,101 but she was also the only former MP from the group who sought to use frequent-flyer points, redeeming three flights and saving $415.
Qantas frequent flyer miles earned on these business class flights, go to the retired politicians; in the story, just one person, mentioned here, used miles.
Quote:
The flights can be used for holidays. In the past year alone, thousands of dollars have been spent on flights to destinations such as Cairns, Broome and Hamilton Island.
Maybe not in this particular form, but in a sense I'm sure it exists in other places as well. Someone who has served a term in a national body, such as parliament, can benefit from HUGE pensions (on top of their regular pensions). I know that is the case in Romania. While it may not be a Gold Pass per se, it's enough money that they can afford to fly pretty much whenever and where ever they choose.
In my home country, Turkey, we have a pension scheme called the "swell retirement".
After an elected member of the congress finishes his second year, he is entitled to lifetime pension. So, given that we have parliamentman younger than 30, the public may have to pay for his retirement for over 50+ years assuming he lives upto 80. The latest figure was something like 3,000 Euros per month for each year served in the parliament! This is in addition to any other retirement plan they might have. And guess what, if they die too early, their widow can collect the retirement fund. The kids are only allowed to collect if the retired parliamentman died before they reached 35. Incredible...
The Gravy Plane: Taxpayers funding *Retired* Frequent Flyer Politicians
