The new salary for MP backbenchers? $131,000. The ridiculously low salary for our PM? $340,000. The knowledge that power is the only motivator for politicians? Priceless, writes Laurie Oakes.
Politicians
Lessons in History: Disappearing politicians
Those holding civic office have had a distinct tendency to wander off into parts unknown. Does power drive a man (or woman) into the yonder? History writer Mike Stutchbery investigates.
Pollies: please just answer the question
Politicians are experts at ignoring questions and spinning answers to their own agenda. It irritates journalists, and more importantly, frustrates voters, writes Leigh Sales.
Political Fashion Semiotics 101: the implications of politicians’ clothes
This week, Russian president Dmitry Medvedev thrilled and horrified the blogosphere by wearing jeans and a designer blazer to a dinner with Barack Obama. Mel Campbell does some further political fashion analysis.
Bidgood was right to take those photos and sell them
Was the taking of the photo what is said to be wrong? Or was it selling the photos to News Ltd for a donation? Asks Graham Young.
The week’s hot topics on talkback radio…
Bats - Why can’t we kill them?
Nurses are no politicians: Morgan survey
Politicians are a little more popular, but when it comes to high esteem, nothing beats a nurse.
Crikey Says: Crikey Says
Politicians seeking a work-life balance should be respected and supported. Politicians who use their long-suffering families as the PR pretext for cutting-and-running should be seen for what they are — liars.
Forget philosophy, have some money
Notwithstanding Kevin Rudd’s belated attempt to seize the moral high ground, both major parties are committed to enormous increases in expenditure as a result of promises made during this election campaign, writes Peter Saunders from the Centre for Independent Studies.
Tasmania abolishes double jeopardy
Yesterday Tasmania’s Attorney-General Steve Kons announced he was following the lead of other states like Queensland and abolishing the double jeopardy rule. This is the rule that essentially says you can’t be tried for the same crime twice, writes Greg Barns.
The Daily Verdict: Day 15 & call it a draw
Day 15 of the election campaign was like one of those nil all draws at soccer - boring and hard to get excited about. The scoring for Crikey’s The Daily Verdict had the Coalition and Labor locked together with the lowest rating yet recorded for any day.
Sparrow: Politicians aren’t like us
Here’s three other examples, more-or-less at random, of issues on which the people and their representatives move on entirely different tracks, writes Jeff Sparrow.
Ben Cousins and the futility of the war on drugs
Ben Cousins gets charged with possessing an illegal drug and thousands of dollars of Western Australian taxpayers’ money will be wasted on processing, charging and prosecuting him. Why not spend the money more wisely, argues Greg Barns.
The changing Australian voter: volatile but satisfied
Our 40-year retrospective on Australian voting behavior shows that voters are more interested in politics than they used to be, writes professor Ian McAllister.
Your vote returned to sender?
Many Australians will be denied their vote this year – and that’s not just under-eighteens, foreigners, prisoners and pets – and a number of those will only find out when they front up to a booth on election day to flex their democratic muscle, writes GetUp!’s Ed Coper.
Your Say: Daily Mail readers' feedback: Comments, corrections, clarifications, and c*ckups
Rudd - hypocrisy, Col Allan and Seinfeld’s bubble boy … Guy Rundle captured the whole scenario perfectly … Rudd’s statement and nit picking … Flint on Rudd … Dick Smith for PM …
The secret life of politicians — a brothel insider tells
So Kevin Rudd went to a strip club. Big deal! … I know the names of five current and former New South Wales politicians who are regulars at their local house of ill repute. What political party are they from? There is a slight leaning to the Liberal Party – but only just, writes Chris Seage.
Garrett goes to heaven, Howard goes to hell
Politicians who imagine that their public service improves their chances of getting into heaven may get an unwelcome surprise when they stand before the pearly gates, according to a new study published today by The Australia Institute.
Drug testing MPs and the Shultz defence
On Sunday, Senator Bill Heffernan called for random testing of politicians for illegal drugs. Heffernan claimed that the tests would send a message “that we are fair dinkum serious about stamping out drug use”.
