Snouts in the trough

Robert Candelori astutely examines the parliamentary expenses issue in his latest post. Check it out below.

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Comments

[Allan]

1.

The matter of politicians entitlements should most definitely be overhauled to take out any claim of ambiguity that may exist. Having said that, I am amazed at the zeal with which the leftist media is throwing rocks at Tony Abbott.

Let's face it, his book promotion "scandal" was four years ago and the money was repaid way back when. Old news of little value unless like Fairfax Press your newspapers are going down the gurgler because Tony Abbott and his Coalition wont give them anything to print on a hourly basis. Then there is no option but to dig up some old poo that was buried long ago and start throwing it around all over again. Pathetic.

I don't recall such a determination of the leftist media to crucify Julia Gillard when she claimed $4,000 of taxpayers money after her live in houseboy went on a spree in her Commonwealth car selling his hair care products out of the boot. Nor did they give any mention to Tony Burke and his exercising of the ambiguity in the system.

One lot is as bad as the other so why crucify one side and not the other? And, please don't bring up Peter Slipper. Totally different set of circumstances that are/were subject to police investigation.

[Jim Witt]

2.

Ya, the lefties are going spare about not being in government and their fifth column is doing all it can to discredit the Abbott government, but for the most part is shooting blanks. The ambiguity of the expenses system for pollies needs some looking at. Most if not all ministers and shadows would have staff handling the collation of expenses encountered and would be presented with a claim form to sign in regard to them. Sure, they are expected to examine this with a fine tooth comb and pick out any mistakes, but most would trust their staff to have it right in the first place. This plus the grayness of the entitlements will mean mistakes will occur. Of course you get some pollies who think every thing they do like visit the vineyards or the whorehouse should be paid by us taxpayers as well, and of course they must be taken to task for it.

[Arthur Dent]

3.

Hmmm.
Just heard Tony defend his expense claim for attending an iron man event.
Ready?
'Port Maquarie was a marginal seat'.

Works for me.

[kraka]

4.

The poor old leftists are trolling incessantly. Everyone agrees that both sides of politics need to clean this up and it is a lay down misere some bipartisan band aid solution will be passed.

But really-now that the ALP is slipping in it's own shit and the ABC have been forced to cover it- you can expect this to die a quick death.

Perhaps they can move onto more important things like the $300B debt that has to be repaid-kick starting the mining boom by removing the carbon dioxide tax that does nothing for the climate and the mining tax that only hurts small miners and exploration while collecting nothing from the big boys.

Truly-this will blow over very quickly and the ALPBC will be trolling for dirt for the next 10 years - MINIMUM. It's not Abbott that is unelectable-it's Shorten!!!!

[Peter Simmons]

5.

Dreyfus - Mt Perisher -Marginal Seat.

Hmmm.

Works for me.

[Arthur Dent]

6.

Everyone agrees that both sides of politics need to clean this up and it is a lay down misere some bipartisan band aid solution will be passed.

Yep.
Should we pardon poor old Peter Slipper now, considering that Tony repaid his Slipper wedding expenses ?

[kraka]

7.

I think we should concentrate on big issues rather than acting like a bad loser and pick out trivial shit and not point out the faults of the worst Government in Australian history that we just comprehensively booted out.
Works for me.