Government axes lifetime free flights for former politicians

Every leadership course I've ever done, (which is a few,) has always made some reference to leading by example. I refuse to call politicians leaders because of perks and policies like this. I'm not suggesting that MP's should have to pay for travel they do as part of being an MP.

However, when we're all told to tighten our belts and yet hear stories like a certain former Minister forking out nearly $13K of tax payer money to fly their kids business class for a domestic short haul trip, it just stinks.

It seems the real start to those speeches should have been 'The Age of Entitlement is Over (Except if You are or Have Ever Been an MP)'.

Clearly not a 'performance based' perk.. Hey, if I was given this perk  just for 'turning up', and consequently NOT turning up LOL.  I wouldn't be in a rush to have it abolished either. Getting something you don't deserve, now that's Australian democracy in action ROFL. Of course this is just my humble opinion :)

Don't hate me for saying this but I thought I'd put it out there:

Would you rather pay for politicians' business class flights or a person's drug habit via Centrelink?

P.S: I'm not passing judgement or questioning the morality and ethics of either choices, in case some of you get so repulsed by the question.

Once a politician stops serving the public, the public doesn't owe them anything. They already get an overly generous pension. If you go to a bar you are entitled to have a drink, when you leave they don't owe you a beer.

It's not all that it seems. As a former recipient of a gold pass, I and other retired MPs have not been able to access the gold pass travel since the May14 budget despite the legislation not being passed.

Wonder if other countries also have these issues

Even when legislation is passed in 2017 Ministers still get 6 years & MP's 3 years FF travel which I do think is a little rich but doesn't include spouses, the current circumstance which is for life & spouses get to share, at taxpayers expense is 'beyond the pail'.  

I think there was a case for free airline travel via the gold pass once.  (It was orginally intended for train travel, of course.) Far fewer people flew interstate in the 60s,  70s and 80s, and our political class was one of the few groups that did this, regularly, as part of their work.  Since the entry of Virgin into the market however, there's been downward pressure on prices, and greater competition, meaning domestic flights are a much more everyday occurrence.  I think the onus on the taxpayer to pay for these flights once they leave their jobs, has ended as a result.

Simply disgraceful, should be scrapped along with their other lopsided benefits for pensions.

I feel that they should be entitled to 1 free flight per calendar year on Jetstar or Tigerair in cattle class only....that way they get to mix & mingle with the people they deserted.

Seriously don't they earn enough in their lifetime from taxpayers ?! Pay for your own flights like everyone else scabs..

Maybe this is the real reason why Bernardi left LNP, spoiled kid spat the dummy, Ha!

• Does anyone know why these generous perks were offered in the first place?
• If such perks are deemed inappropriate, how did they get instituted in the first place?
• Has the relationship between the people governing and the governed changed, such that it is deemed these benefits are not longer appropriate?
• Has the relationship between the media and the governing classes changed, such that the media is more willing to expose questionable but long-standing practices?

If we want politicians to be accountable, should we expect the implementation of a framework to enable regular and periodic review of entitlements against current public standards, so that politicians are not shot down for adopting standard long-standing practices?

Seems to me that is the more mature and future-proof way of dealing with this, rather than the current witch hunt and virtue signalling.

Oops .. that'll terminate quite a few 'platinum' level FF memberships, I suspect.

The only good thing Turnbull's done since he came to office. 

"A tightening of entitlements for federal politicians will see the 'Gold Pass' travel card scrapped immediately, despite the protestations of some Coalition MPs who are perhaps eying their own retirement in the not-too-distant future."

"An estimated 200 former MPs are said to currently enjoy the scheme, which puts the 'free' into frequent flyer at annual cost of $1.5 million to the taxpayer."

We don't pay politicians enough for what they do IMHO. 

Just remember that the gent who originally coined the phrase now get's paid $360,000 per year + a $93,000 'retirement allowance' (not a pension cause that's a bad word) all tax free. 

finally some reasonable policy decision-probably they will vote themselves a raise soon so that would cover for the lost perks