Earning that reputation X

Last year, the Speaker ended MP's international travel rort, which had seen us paying up to 90% of the cost of senior MP's international holidays. Today, they rorted us again, pocketing a $5,000 a year pay rise as "compensation" for the removal of this unearned, unjustifiable perk:

The Remuneration Authority this morning gave MPs an increase of 1.5 percent, as well as a $5,000 payment to compensate for the international which was scrapped in January.

The changes will see the next Prime Minister's salary rise from $400,500 to $411,510, while his deputy will get $291,800, up from $282,500.

The Leader of the Opposition and the Speaker will both get $257,200, up from $249,100.

Backbenchers will receive $141,800, up from $134,800.

And MPs wonder why we think they are dogshit? This is why. The travel rort was never justifiable; it was always a rort. Receiving "compensation" for its loss simply adds insult to injury, and cements the reputation of MPs as thieving parasites. And they have no-one to blame for it but themselves.