To begin with, I was deeply concerned to see the federal government change the guidelines of the highly successful Future Fund, allowing them to redirect funding to their pet projects (read: unreliable renewable energy) instead of the steady, competent investments the fund has made to date. The fund, established using budget surpluses from the Howard/Costello government, has exceeded expectations and ensured that public servants receive their otherwise unfunded pensions. By diverting money from the fund to pie-in-the-sky “investments,” the government is putting public service pensions at risk. Well, I suppose that might force some public servants to vote LNP instead of ALP/Greens in the future—nothing like self-interest to focus the mind! However, this sets a very bad precedent. The Coalition must reverse this policy once they return to government.
Here in the ACT, Andrew Barr has been overly generous with his staffing allocations to the four Greens at the expense of the nine liberals.
The Liberal leader receives up to $988,148 for staffing, while her colleagues are allocated up to $233,375 each. The Greens leader receives $671,941, and his three colleagues are allocated $410,740 each. Independent members Tom Emerson and Fiona Carrick are each allocated $424,742. Shane Rattenbury says his allocations are “to enable exemplary democratic functioning of our parliament, good governance and effective oversight.” Well, I would have thought that’s what an opposition is for—and specifically the role of the Liberal opposition. This sounds like a stitch-up between Mr Barr and the Greens to ensure Greens compliance with the Labor government. In other words, it guarantees more of the same for another four years.
Disregarding for the moment whether the MLAs of any political persuasion need that much money for staffing, it seems grossly unfair that the opposition should only get half of what the Greens get. There is a justification for the two independents as they have to be across everything.
In the various Assemblies I served in, I recall having one and a half staff members in the first Assembly. As a minister, I had four personal staff and four departmental staff (DLOs – Departmental Liaison Officers). I understand there are significantly more staff in today’s ministerial offices. Back then, we had only four or five ministers—now Labor has eight.
From 2001 to 2008, we had two staff members in opposition, and when I was leader, I had four staff (the same as a minister). We managed just fine.
I would call on the Greens, if they truly believe their rhetoric in good governance, to put up a motion calling on the Labor government to increase the amount allocated to Liberal opposition members to the same rate as the Greens. If they won’t do that, this current allocation confirms a cosy relationship between the minority Labor Government and the Greens which is the last thing we need in the ACT as it merely perpetuates the less-than-effective government we have had to put up with in Canberra these last 12 years. How about it Shane?
