In the days before the 2019 Federal Election, Christopher Pyne and Julie Bishop resigned. The day after ‒ or near enough ‒ both accepted roles at firms whose nests they had helped to feather.
This was no surprise to anyone, although Labor has complained. Because a job in the Abbott/Turnbull/Morrison Ministry is like the waiting room for a real job. That job you wait to be rewarded with after you’ve served your time in Government, pretending to serve the public, while you fleece them for your future employers.
That’s just the way the Coalition crumbles.
MORE TAX CUTS!
The Government’s only election policy – those infernal tax cuts – by any objective analysis, show the benefits are highest for those in the upper echelon of society. On its own, which is how the Government is pitching it, this policy will only slightly stimulate the economy — as the Reserve Bank this week made clear.
Further tax cuts also cost money. Lots of money — $158 billion, to be precise. This is money the Government will, in the pursuit of a tiny surplus, claw back from other sectors — namely, welfare and services (not defence or security, of course). The third level of tax cuts will only further advantage the privileged few, many of whom already pay virtually no tax at all.
As ACOSS explains:
'... most households in the lowest 40 per cent by income – which includes many pensioners, people locked out of paid work, and low paid workers – get no benefit from tax cuts.'
These facts have been verified by all credible, unpurchased economists.
PAYING MINISTERS TO GO
Insider knowledge is worth big bucks to big business.
Christopher Pyne, when Defence Minister, invested $200 billion in the military sector. He has now landed a role with Ernst and Young (EY).
Pyne told the Australian Financial Review he was
‘… looking forward to providing strategic advice to EY, as the firm looks to expand its footprint in the defence industry.’
Ernst and Young have already received around $100 million a year in government contracts.
As Foreign Minister, Julie Bishop privatised foreign aid spending contracts. Such contracts were awarded under her watch to companies like Palladium — one of the biggest beneficiaries of that spending, with contracts in the vicinity of $500 million.
Palladium just happens to be Bishop's new employer.
The reality is, the individuals in this Coalition Government appear to be self-serving to a staggering degree.
But why wouldn’t they be? There do not seem to be any dire consequences for cruel policies, casual corruption or utter incompetence for either the Government or the ham-fisted hacks who perpetuate it. Indeed, the opposite is true. You can plunder the nation all you want and then get paid handsomely for it. Rort and then walk — straight into a plum role with a multinational conglomerate which benefitted from your previous position. A corporation standing to benefit further now you are lobbying on its behalf. And here’s the sweetest thing, you still get paid by the taxpayer — until you expire!
When the Prime Minister rambled on about "having a go, to get a go", perhaps he was referring to his Government, ex-ministers and other would-be ministers.
When you stack it all up, there is no denying where this Government’s priorities lie. And it ain’t with you or me.
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