the Speakers chair, sounds like its on the Bugle

[dpositive 1,767]

Now that Bronnies resigned it's great that Tony is to undertake a "root and branch" examination of all the previous governments similar excesses

Wonder if this rigorous examination will extend to the previous Liberal government?

[dee-luded 2,959]

Now that Bronnies resigned it's great that Tony is to undertake a "root and branch" examination of all the previous governments similar excesses

Wonder if this rigorous examination will extend to the previous Liberal government?

I wonder if it will extend to all current MP's & senators....

[dpositive 1,767]

I wonder if it will extend to all current MP's & senators....

No doubt the review will expose all those matters that Tony wants to expose.

Anything not exposed will be in the national interest, security , on water matter, or subject to cabinet consideration.

It may be unfortunate that some alternative candidates for the leadership may well be caught up in this although I notice Malcolm is already outlining his defence.

Anything else will be destroyed and the Essendon football club model will be used. We dont know what it was but it wasnt illegal.

The government may be vying for the best friend of the legal fraternity award currently led by J Hird.

[Earl Hood 6,125]

Root and branch it will not be that is for sure. It will be wait and see until our attention is diverted somewhere else and then a half arsed review report will be tabled with numerous actions for further consideration, of course to be reviewed in the fullness of time. Sir Humphrey would be proud.

[dee-luded 2,959]

No doubt the review will expose all those matters that Tony wants to expose.

Anything not exposed will be in the national interest, security , on water matter, or subject to cabinet consideration.

It may be unfortunate that some alternative candidates for the leadership may well be caught up in this although I notice Malcolm is already outlining his defence.

Anything else will be destroyed and the Essendon football club model will be used. We dont know what it was but it wasnt illegal.

The government may be vying for the best friend of the legal fraternity award currently led by J Hird.

I'll call for it now; a Royal Blue Commission into the Labour Party MP's & Senators travel expense's & claims... we'll keep those bastards honest , & keep the people in mushroom clouds.

........ your mission Malcolm, should you wish to remain in this ministry, is to go incognito as an investigator, & infiltrate the labour party offices, seek out their accounts, & bring back the bus tickets, & expence claims of they're cabinet ministers, whilst you keep doing your job for the emperor; & make sure you kill off the Free to Air TV stations; as your main objective to help lachie & james race '10' headlong into the ditch; whilst Foxtel continues to grow.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ten_Network_Holdings

......... as always Malcolm, if you or any of your staff get caught undertaking this plot, or with their hands in the petty cash tin, the PM's secretary will disavow any knowledge of your actions ! This message will self-destruct in 5 seconds.

now off you go to work Malcolm

www.youtube.com/watch?v=uUyoH3Gxbpk

Edited August 4, 2015 by dee-luded

[dpositive 1,767]

I'll call for it now; a Royal Blue Commission into the Labour Party MP's & Senators travel expense's & claims... we'll keep those bastards honest , & keep the people in mushroom clouds.

........ your mission Malcolm, should you wish to remain in this ministry, is to go incognito as an investigator, & infiltrate the labour party offices, seek out their accounts, & bring back the bus tickets, & expence claims of they're cabinet ministers, whilst you keep doing your job for the emperor; & make sure you kill off the Free to Air TV stations; as your main objective to help lachie & james race '10' headlong into the ditch; whilst Foxtel continues to grow.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ten_Network_Holdings

......... as always Malcolm, if you or any of your staff get caught undertaking this plot, or with their hands in the petty cash tin, the PM's secretary will disavow any knowledge of your actions ! This message will self-destruct in 5 seconds.

now off you go to work Malcolm

www.youtube.com/watch?v=uUyoH3Gxbpk

BOY I thought I was cynical!

[nutbean 8,838]

I am not a fan of Tony ( pretty obvious I would have thought) but he is 100% right - he said that not only do they need to ensure that people are following the rules but importantly that the rules are right.

What got up my nose more than Bronnie rorting was her "it's in the rules". If it is in the rules that you can take a helicopter from Melbourne to Geelong at tax payers expenses then the rules are just plain wrong.

[dee-luded 2,959]

I am not a fan of Tony ( pretty obvious I would have thought) but he is 100% right - he said that not only do they need to ensure that people are following the rules but importantly that the rules are right.

What got up my nose more than Bronnie rorting was her "it's in the rules". If it is in the rules that you can take a helicopter from Melbourne to Geelong at tax payers expenses then the rules are just plain wrong.

this is exactly right. the rules are too Liberal.

& they cannot be trusted.

[dee-luded 2,959]

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/bronwyn-bishop-would-retire-on-a-salary-of-225000-a-year-plus-free-flights-20150805-gis178.html#ixzz3hwn1fH9x Bronwyn Bishop would retire on a pension of $255,000 a year, plus free flights

Former Speaker Bronwyn Bishop would retire on a taxpayer-funded pension of $255,000 plus 10 free domestic return flights a year, if she were to take the Prime Minister's hint and quit Parliament at the next election.

Tony Abbott all but declared the former Speaker's political career over on Tuesday.

But cabinet minister Christopher Pyne, who worked closely with Mrs Bishop in his capacity as leader of the house, said he hoped she prevailed at the ballot box if she recontested.

Mrs Bishop's office told Fairfax Media on Tuesday that the member for Mackellar intended to renominate for her seat at the next poll, scheduled for 2016. By next year, her parliamentary career, which began in the Senate, will have stretched for 29 years, meaning she stands to take home a retirement package worth about $255,000 a year.

This is calculated on the basis that Mrs Bishop, 72, has served more than 18 years in Parliament and is entitled to 75 per cent of the parliamentary base salary, worth $115,000 a year.

But as a former minister and Speaker, she would be paid generous top-ups capped at 75 per cent of the highest paying office held. Having served more than 20 years in Parliament, Mrs Bishop also qualifies for the Life Gold Pass scheme, which entitles her to 10 domestic return trips a year.

Mr Abbott said on Wednesday he wanted an entirely new entitlements system "within months", despite saying earlier that he did not want his root and branch review into the current scheme to be a "quickie".

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/bronwyn-bishop-would-retire-on-a-salary-of-225000-a-year-plus-free-flights-20150805-gis178.html#ixzz3hwnrdM4z

[dpositive 1,767]

amazing thing that of all the millions of trips by all sides of politics

Tony Burke is instantly identified.

im not an apologist for any polititian but i think there has to be consideration for some of the additional impacts on their lives. these people do get paid considerably less than a bloke who kicks a footy around on the weekend.

Perhaps if like most people instead of an entitlement they had to pay up front and then seek reimbursement just like tax they may consider what they do more carefully

So Tony Burke could claim reimbursement for compensation for family time lost in performance of duties and he would know exactly how much it was because he would have already paid for it

[dee-luded 2,959]

amazing thing that of all the millions of trips by all sides of politics

Tony Burke is instantly identified.

im not an apologist for any polititian but i think there has to be consideration for some of the additional impacts on their lives. these people do get paid considerably less than a bloke who kicks a footy around on the weekend.

Perhaps if like most people instead of an entitlement they had to pay up front and then seek reimbursement just like tax they may consider what they do more carefully

So Tony Burke could claim reimbursement for compensation for family time lost in performance of duties and he would know exactly how much it was because he would have already paid for it

No problem with them getting a good salary, but everytime a Board member of a publicly listed company, or a CEO, wants to give themselves a 33.33% salary increase, every 6 months,,, doesn't mean that the Pollies have to sneak they're own 35% away into the wallets, in hidden expence claims,,,, tax free...

make them put a detailed monthly account, at the end of each calender month, into a pollies expenses account, which is posted onto a public Website, for all to scrutinise.

also they're employees expenses, & also they're office expenses, should be publicly posted.

close all loopholes, accessing the public's monies.

[dee-luded 2,959]

amazing thing that of all the millions of trips by all sides of politics

Tony Burke is instantly identified.

im not an apologist for any polititian but i think there has to be consideration for some of the additional impacts on their lives. these people do get paid considerably less than a bloke who kicks a footy around on the weekend.

Perhaps if like most people instead of an entitlement they had to pay up front and then seek reimbursement just like tax they may consider what they do more carefully

So Tony Burke could claim reimbursement for compensation for family time lost in performance of duties and he would know exactly how much it was because he would have already paid for it

I'd like to see all current serving MP's & Senator's expenses be investigated, going as far back as 2005. 10 years.

& made into public rerecord, showing all the details.

[dee-luded 2,959]

Tony Burke: Former environment minister under fire over $12k family trip to Uluru

By political reporter Anna Henderson http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-08-04/tony-burke-under-fire-over-12000-dollar-family-trip-to-uluru/6672464

Government frontbencher Eric Abetz says Labor's chief Lower House strategist Tony Burke should be considering his own position, after questions were raised about his travel expenses claims.

The Coalition is searching for a new speaker after Bronwyn Bishop resigned over her use of taxpayer-funded entitlements. Mr Burke was one of Mrs Bishop's most vocal critics, focusing on her decision to spend thousands of dollars on a helicopter trip to a Liberal party fundraiser.

Department of Finance records show in April 2012, while he was environment minister, Mr Burke made a four-day return trip from Sydney to Uluru in Central Australia and claimed his own flight worth $2,181.43 plus four "family traveller" airfares worth $8,656.48.

Mr Burke also charged taxpayers for travel allowances worth $1,497, and $463.74 for a hire car. The total cost to taxpayers for the trip was $12,707.65.

Independent MP Andrew Wilkie is calling for an audit of all travel claims by MPs and senators dating back to 2010, and has singled out Mr Burke's use of family travel as deserving further scrutiny.

Senator Abetz has not accused Mr Burke of wrongdoing over the trip, but says the Manager of Opposition Business was pressuring Mrs Bishop to resign while having a questionable record himself.

"We have a review being undertaken as we speak, and let me just say on that I find it strange that the chief spear-thrower for the Labor Party was Mr Burke, who had to repay not once, not twice, not three times, not even 10 times, but 15 times," he said. "I believe that Mr Burke should be considering his position given his record in relation to that area."

Mr Burke's office has released a statement saying he was on official business during the Uluru visit and held meetings "in his capacity as environment minister" with members of the nearby Aboriginal community of Mutitjulu and managers and rangers at Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park.

"Mr Burke worked with staff including the park manager, visitor and tourism services manager, the cultural centre coordinator, media officers and senior rangers," the statement said.

"The cost of flights and the amount payable for accommodation while on official business are determined by the Department of Finance and the Independent Remuneration Tribunal, and flights are organised by the travel agent holding the Government contract."

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-08-04/tony-burke-under-fire-over-12000-dollar-family-trip-to-uluru/6672464

[dee-luded 2,959]

& now this is the way it is.... more secretive meetings & secret investigations. Why investigate, is it for the people? so why make it a private investigation, if its for the people?

MP expenses: Department of Finance investigations to remain secret

August 10, 2015 - 5:46PM..... Bevan Shields http://www.canberratimes.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/mp-expenses-department-of-finance-investigations-to-remain-secret-20150810-givqbk.html

The Department of Finance will keep secret the outcome of its investigation into the questionable use of taxpayer-funded entitlements by three prominent federal politicians.

........ Former speaker Bronwyn Bishop, long-serving Liberal MP Philip Ruddock, and Labor frontbencher Tony Burke, each asked the department to audit their spending in an attempt to defuse a public backlash over the widening expenses scandal.

The strategy was not enough to save Mrs Bishop's job, but more could be at stake for the disgraced former speaker: the Department of Finance investigation will determine whether her use of a helicopter to fly from Melbourne to Geelong for a Liberal Party fundraiser at a cost of more than $5000 will be referred to the Australian Federal Police.

However, Fairfax Media has confirmed bureaucrats will not publicly release the outcome of the three probes. Asked how long the reviews will take, who is conducting them and whether the outcomes will be made public, a spokesperson only replied: "The Department of Finance does not comment on its dealings with individual parliamentarians, or in relation to the administration of parliamentary entitlements."

A separate spokesperson said the department never commented on the outcome of "matters being assessed under the Minchin Protocol".

The protocol allows MPs to quietly repay wrongly claimed expenses,,, without the public's knowledge.

The department's position contradicts the views of Finance Minister Mathias Cormann, who said on Monday there was "no particular reason" why the findings should not be made public.

...... The claim that the department never comments on entitlements is also at odds with statements it made to the media about the expenses of former speaker Peter Slipper.

It means taxpayers will only know whether MPs have misused their entitlements if Mrs Bishop, Mr Ruddock, or Mr Burke, decide to release the findings themselves.

The expenses scandal, which has raged for four weeks, dominated Parliament's return on Monday from its winter recess.

A ReachTEL poll conducted for Fairfax Media suggests the saga has stripped Prime Minister Tony Abbott of voter support, with almost half of voters indicating they are less likely to support Mr Abbott following the scandal.

http://www.canberratimes.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/mp-expenses-department-of-finance-investigations-to-remain-secret-20150810-givqbk.html

[Wrecker45 3,378]

Wrecker there ain't no hiutus or hiatus. Each year is hotter than the last, year on year since 2000. It is getting hotter not cooler. And that is a problem for us all.

Ok the IPCC must have it wrong.