topic Re: Thieving from the tax payer in Community Spirit

Thieving from the tax payer

donnashuggy — Sun, 29 Sep 2013 01:13:55 GMT

Who would do such a thing?

Re: Thieving from the tax payer

lakeland27 — Sun, 29 Sep 2013 01:18:02 GMT

http://www.theage.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/brandis-joyce-attended-wedding-on-taxpayers-tab-20130928-2ulgn.html

Re: Thieving from the tax payer

i-need-a-martini — Sun, 29 Sep 2013 01:21:34 GMT

Do you mean risk going to Michael Smiths wedding when you are seeking a public office?

Or do you mean openly showing your support for a controversial, lying scumbag?

Or do you mean using taxpayers money to attend a private wedding?

Oh I suppose it doesn't matter. I mean if your leader can use taxpayers money to pay for his personal ironman and training events, then of course it must be OK to use taxpayers money for whatever you want.

Re: Thieving from the tax payer

lakeland27 — Sun, 29 Sep 2013 01:22:11 GMT

Two of Tony Abbott's most high-profile ministers claimed thousands of dollars in taxpayer entitlements for attending the wedding of close friend and Sydney shock jock Michael Smith.

Federal Attorney-General George Brandis and Nationals deputy leader Barnaby Joyce billed taxpayers nearly $3000 for flights, hire cars and incidental expenses incurred on the trip, according to travel expenses lodged with the Department of Finance.

It was a little less than two years ago and Smith had just left 2UE radio after a falling out over his attempt to raise allegations about former prime minister Julia Gillard's past relationship with a union official and misappropriation of funds.

National Party senator Barnaby Joyce. Photo: Alex Ellinghausen

The shock jock did not have a best man. But Senator Brandis, then one of the Abbott opposition's lead attack dogs, and Mr Joyce spoke at the event.

Mr Joyce read a poem and Senator Brandis made a bridal speech before he later dominated the dance floor.

The Attorney-General claimed $1700, including more than $1000 on return flights, $143 on a hire car and the overnight ''official business'' allowance designed to cover accommodation and incidentals.

He told Fairfax Media on Saturday that he regarded the wedding as a chance to ''foster collaboration'' over Smith's work on covering Ms Gillard and the Craig Thomson scandal and was therefore ''primarily a professional rather than a social engagement''.

''These were both matters of significant national interest on which I spoke frequently in Parliament and the media,'' he said in a written statement.

The federal Department of Finance's guidelines state MPs are allowed to claim travel and accommodation expenses for official business, including ''meetings of a government advisory committee or taskforce'' or ''functions representing a minister o

Re: Thieving from the tax payer

just_me_karen — Sun, 29 Sep 2013 01:43:35 GMT

Donna might mean how tony spent tens of thousands of dollars of taxpayer money on photo opportunities whilst pretending to volunteer in aboriginal communities?

Re: Thieving from the tax payer

lakeland27 — Sun, 29 Sep 2013 01:47:34 GMT

@just_me_karen wrote:
Donna might mean how tony spent tens of thousands of dollars of taxpayer money on photo opportunities whilst pretending to volunteer in aboriginal communities?

interesting how that abuse of the public purse is not widely reported. abbott is the epitome of a rent seeker.

Re: Thieving from the tax payer

*ibis — Sun, 29 Sep 2013 01:52:54 GMT

interesting how that abuse of the public purse is not widely reported.

then how did you find out about this smarty pants?

Re: Thieving from the tax payer

lakeland27 — Sun, 29 Sep 2013 01:59:22 GMT

@*ibis wrote:
interesting how that abuse of the public purse is not widely reported.

then how did you find out about this smarty pants?

by following a narrow path.

Re: Thieving from the tax payer

*crikey*mate* — Sun, 29 Sep 2013 02:09:40 GMT

your neural pathways?

Re: Thieving from the tax payer

just_me_karen — Sun, 29 Sep 2013 02:11:09 GMT

Yay I was right.

I reckon Donna might also be talking about ashby gate and the zillions of dollars spent on getting that dodgy brough into his seat.

How much does a fraudulent medical certificate cost these days?

Re: Thieving from the tax payer

lakeland27 — Sun, 29 Sep 2013 02:24:51 GMT

@crikey*mate wrote:
your neural pathways?

i have to pay that.

a fuller explaination would be that just because the murdochs are helping impose the media blackout on his activities the PM seems to want, the fact is there are plenty of journalists employed elsewhere with some integrity who are more than wiling to take up the slack.

Re: Thieving from the tax payer

monman12 — Sun, 29 Sep 2013 02:28:39 GMT

"Oh I suppose it doesn't matter. I mean if your leader can use taxpayers money to pay for his personal ironman and training events, then of course it must be OK to use taxpayers money for whatever you want."

I agree, at least have a degree of separation from the executive, and then make it worthwhile, like Thomson and his union funded unions.

Re: Thieving from the tax payer

*ibis — Sun, 29 Sep 2013 02:31:09 GMT

the fact is there are plenty of journalists employed elsewhere with some integrity who are more than wiling to take up the slack.

who are these journalists of interity you speak of and where are they employed?

Re: Thieving from the tax payer

lakeland27 — Sun, 29 Sep 2013 02:40:36 GMT

@*ibis wrote:
the fact is there are plenty of journalists employed elsewhere with some integrity who are more than wiling to take up the slack.

who are these journalists of interity you speak of and where are they employed?

its not my place to give that type of advice. i'd steer clear of crikey though, bernard is good and has long looked to be angling for what rupert calls a 'ralph sarich' job. like the early sarich engines, you buy them up and put them on a shelf .

Re: Thieving from the tax payer

*ibis — Sun, 29 Sep 2013 02:44:49 GMT

its not my place to give that type of advice

you never do but i thought i would give it a shot

Re: Thieving from the tax payer

lakeland27 — Sun, 29 Sep 2013 02:50:58 GMT

@monman12 wrote:
"Oh I suppose it doesn't matter. I mean if your leader can use taxpayers money to pay for his personal ironman and training events, then of course it must be OK to use taxpayers money for whatever you want."

I agree, at least have a degree of separation from the executive, and then make it worthwhile, like Thomson and his union funded unions.

and that's in front of the court now, where it ought to have been. it seems to hinge around the restrictions on use of HSU cards atm (the case) if memory serves me correctly there were no restrictions on their use. from the look of brandis joyce and abbotts attitude to parliamentary cards i'd say that's a little bit of a furphy now.

Re: Thieving from the tax payer

donnashuggy — Sun, 29 Sep 2013 05:20:29 GMT

Brandis is paying it back, is that an admission of guilt? No, it couldn't be because he said he did nothing wrong. But that is confusing isn't it, why would you pay it back if you did nothing wrong, I don't get it

Re: Thieving from the tax payer

cherry*135 — Sun, 29 Sep 2013 05:40:19 GMT

michaelsmith news website?.. so.. those 2 are his mates.

He claims Barnaby didn't make any claims for travel to his wedding on his site. He has copies of Baranby's travel claims posted on there for the relevant time period.

Brandis has paid back $1683.06. I would prefer to resolve any uncertainty in the favour of the taxpayer.

Attending a wedding for work-related purposes.. what is the bride/ or guests supposed to be doing while this work related business is carried out at a wedding.?

Re: Thieving from the tax payer

donnashuggy — Sun, 29 Sep 2013 06:44:58 GMT

Glad that a few have been caught out this week, I'm sure there is more to come

Re: Thieving from the tax payer

red_wolfey — Sun, 29 Sep 2013 08:06:50 GMT

I'm sure it will not make the news because people only care when it's the 'other team' rorting our taxes.

Rupert murdoch put out a tweet during the election where he was 'complaining about the public sector workers and welfaree scroungers sucking the life out the economy and it seems his favourite party is rorting tax dollars

Ahh hypocrisy!