13-06-2024, 02:24 PM
An MP who receives a salary of $168k and normally loves in Wellington gets to keep their $168k.
An MP who receives a salary of $168k, normally lives in Auckland and rents an apartment in Wellington can claim the cost of renting the apparent - likely $36,000.
An MP who receives a salary of $168k, normally lives in Auckland and has had the foresight to buy an investment property in Wellington is expected (by some people) to live in that property, pay its outgoings of potentially $50k interest plus rates and insurance, etc while unable to rent it out, yet not be able to claim living costs.
How is that fair?
The "bunch of bastards" are actually people, just like the rest of us, who need to make a living with the key difference being that for three years their job is trying to do their best to balance all the needs involved with running the country.
New politicians sometimes get into the "game" because of a desire to fix things. Then when they get there they find that it isn't as simple as they thought and that things they might "fix" are not really fixable, or even a problem.
Just like the rest of the population, politicians may be good or bad people, sensible knowledgeable people or well meaning misguided fools. At least they're in there trying their best even if we might strongly disagree with the policies many want to implement. Many will have taken a salary cut to get in there and do "their bit". The least we can do is accept equitable handling of living arrangements.
An MP who receives a salary of $168k, normally lives in Auckland and rents an apartment in Wellington can claim the cost of renting the apparent - likely $36,000.
An MP who receives a salary of $168k, normally lives in Auckland and has had the foresight to buy an investment property in Wellington is expected (by some people) to live in that property, pay its outgoings of potentially $50k interest plus rates and insurance, etc while unable to rent it out, yet not be able to claim living costs.
How is that fair?
The "bunch of bastards" are actually people, just like the rest of us, who need to make a living with the key difference being that for three years their job is trying to do their best to balance all the needs involved with running the country.
New politicians sometimes get into the "game" because of a desire to fix things. Then when they get there they find that it isn't as simple as they thought and that things they might "fix" are not really fixable, or even a problem.
Just like the rest of the population, politicians may be good or bad people, sensible knowledgeable people or well meaning misguided fools. At least they're in there trying their best even if we might strongly disagree with the policies many want to implement. Many will have taken a salary cut to get in there and do "their bit". The least we can do is accept equitable handling of living arrangements.