TA “volunteering”

[***super_nova***]

Am i bit strange to think that if person is doing something for charity or is supposedly volunteering they do it in their own time and at their expense? 

Tony Abbott claims to be a friend of Indigenous Australians, regularly spending time in their communities “volunteering”. This is an enormously expensive lie.  That is an insult to all the people who really do volunteer and give freely their time.

Read more...http://www.independentaustralia.net/2013/politics/tony-abbotts-costly-indigenous-community-volunteer...

[i-need-a-martini]

I should also point out that the prime Minister of a country SHOULD be able to claim entitlements that help them do their job. For example I believe their family should be reimbursed expenses when travelling (god knows they see so little of them) and for the sake of efficiency, I think it's fine to charter a plane to attend a private wedding (cause the last thing we want is a PM who takes 4 days off work to get themselves to a wedding and back).

BUt none of these things should apply to MPs.

Either way, it's one thing to use taxpayers time and money to attend a wedding but quite another to hoodwink the public into thinking you are 'volunteering' when in fact you are being reimbursed quite substantially for it.

[catsnknots]

OMG.. really?? 

Do you realise how much time all the other politicians take away from their family?  If it is good for the PM then it shoudl be good for all of the MP's. 

But I do not think that the whole family should be paid for.... only the MP... 

[izabsmiling]

Catmad, did Julia or Kevin claim to do 'volunteer' work ....while we paid their wages,accomodation,travel expenses etc 

How do you define 'volunteer work' ?

[i-need-a-martini]

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@catmad*2013 wrote:

OMG.. really?? 

Do you realise how much time all the other politicians take away from their family?  If it is good for the PM then it shoudl be good for all of the MP's. 

But I do not think that the whole family should be paid for.... only the MP... 

---

You are correct - I meant any MP in OPPOSITION. 

I think any high level minister with a large portfolio CURRENTLY IN GOVERNMENT should be be able to claim expenses that allow them to get back to their jobs pronto.

But they should also have the common sense to choose what should be reimbursed without attracting criticism. Going to a Gina or Murdoch wedding would raise eyebrows. So would using your entitlements to consort with shock jocks.

But I'm Ok with sporting events or any other neutral event.

[i-need-a-martini]

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@izabsmiling wrote:

Catmad, did Julia or Kevin claim to do 'volunteer' work ....while we paid their wages,accomodation,travel expenses etc 

How do you define 'volunteer work' ?

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I think that is the key. 

[catsnknots]

but claiming expenses to go and see union events would be ok? 

[izabsmiling]

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@catmad*2013 wrote:

but claiming expenses to go and see union events would be ok? 

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that would be work related expenses ....not someone's own private volunteer work

at our cost....and to add to his fame 

[i-need-a-martini]

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@catmad*2013 wrote:

but claiming expenses to go and see union events would be ok? 

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A union event or the wedding of a union official? 

Of course a union event is legitimate for both sides of politics. Negotiations with unions are part of what politicians do. 

[i-need-a-martini]

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@catmad*2013 wrote:

but claiming expenses to go and see union events would be ok? 

---

It seems to me that you aren't seeing the forest for the trees.

The two words, volunteering and charity, would immediately assume you relinquish all personal gain and in fact would supply your own personal time and money. That's what volunteers do. It's what you would do if you were involved in doing something for charity.

In a nutshell, he presented himself as a 'hero' when he was simply a cowardly liar.

[i-need-a-martini]

And underpinning all of this are 2 things:

1. The LNP promise that there would be no waste.

2. and more pertinant, Peter Slipper.