Author: Mark Fletcher

With major political parties now aligned on the expenses issue and suggesting there is nothing for us to see or worry about, we ought to remind them what life is like in the real world.

Small businesses, like newsagents, face onerous regulation. We are subject to unexpected policing and audits that add to our operational costs.

Small business newsagents face audit by the ATO for PAYG, FBT and other taxes, audit by State revenue over payroll tax, in-store audit by consumer affairs looking for unsafe products, council by-lays inspectors looking for the food licence, ASIC chasing our annual returns, and being tested in undercover operations for selling tobacco to underage shoppers – to name a few.

Our politicians face no such audits or overheads unless one of their number is caught out as has happened recently. They are out of touch with the real world.

At the very least our politicians ought to face the risk of an unexpected audit by an independent body at any time. Such an audit should look not only at their expenses but their level of genuine service of local constituents as well as other KPIs that measure their service to the community. This could give them a dose of reality that is sadly lacking in Canberra.

I had reason recently to write to my personal and business local members as well as the Treasurer on a serious time-sensitive matter. Only by local member, Adam Bandt responded. Josh Frydenberg and Joe Hockey remain missing in action whereas Bandt’ actively and fully engaged.

How can we trust politicians from the major parties who constantly lecture us in business and individuals about fiscal responsibility yet who ignore their own advice when spending on themselves?

The travel and personal entitlements stories of the last few weeks serve to reveal to us what appalling leadership we have in Canberra.

Their explanations demonstrate how out of touch they are. Their selfishness is breathtaking, only surpassed by their lack of ethics.

As a small business owner I look at the spending by a politician on a trip in the context of the tax I pay and how hard all in my business have worked to make those funds available. This is why the $5K helicopter ride to Geelong, the $12K business class trip for kids to Uluru and the hundreds of thousands spent on wasteful study trips overseas disgust me.

Here we are in small business and in our homes being lectured by parliamentarians of all colours about working hard, paying our taxes and being less of a burden on government while those lecturing us engage in a orgy of spending.

We cannot trust them, not any of them from the major parties. They have no perspective grounded in the reality of the everyday taxpayer.

I think we need to overhaul our parliamentary representation. For what it’s worth, her is what i would like to see:

1. A maximum of three terms for any politician.
2. A genuinely independent speaker.
3. Elimination of political donations by companies and unions and capping donations to $1,000.
4. All donations to go through a donations office, which passes them on once satisfied as to the source.
5. Banning of all lobbyists from contact with parliamentarians. They ought tis pend their time talking with and serving constituents.
6. Reduced family travel allowance and never above economy class.
7. No use of VIP aircraft for anyone below prime minister level unless approved by an independent panel outside of parliament.
8. Superannuation at the level of everyday Australians.
9. Wage rises at the level of everyday Australians.
10. No ability to pocket the Canberra accommodation allowance, purchase a home and profit at taxpayer expense.
11. Travel expense disclosure no more than two weeks after the end of the month.

Politicians love to talk about public service. While the words sound wonderful, the compensation they receive make their ‘service’ about the paycheque, perks and jobs from mates in the future. It’s a massive scam and we voters let it happen.

Sure they work hard but so do many small business owners.

I know newsagents working 100 hours a week for under $40,000 a year and who battle the government because of poor small business practices mandated by out of date politicians. Such a newsagent is making a more valuable public service contribution than any politician.

Our current batch of politicians on both sides from to top down disgust me. They are ignorant, out of touch and selfish. We nee urgent wholesale change.