🚀 go-pugleaf

Time to tax MPS' perks
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Text taken from the West Australian 

Treasurer Peter Costello told the house Representatives on may 29 that
privileged minorities in the workforce would get no special tax
treatment for their allowances.

The focus of his attack was the building workers' union,which was
protesting at the government's decision to tax workers' travel
allowances.

"Let me make it entirely clear,Mr Speaker,that this government does
not support the policy of introducing new legislation to exempt a
privileged minority of the workforce from taxation," Mr Costello said.

"This is a government which will make sure that the taxation system is
uniformly applied,regardless of the nature of the occupation and that
is applied in accordance with law."

Sounds fine. Most Australians would agree with the sentiments.

But what Mr Costello forgot to say in his boisterous enthusiasm to
attack the building workers was that they are not the only group
getting special treatment on travel allowances.

*The other is politicans*

A federal backbencher travelling to Canberra for sittings of
parliament gets $145 a night tax free.

Parliament usually sits for four days a week,giving a backbencher
flying into,Canberra on a sunday night $725 tax free on top of their
weekly salary of almost $1550.

The tax-free travel allowance for Sydney is even more generous,taking
into account higher accommodation costs.

With Cabinet meeting more frequently in Sydney,a minister gets $320 a
night tax free.

As inside Canberra pointed out this week,tax-free travel allowances
for MPs was not granted by an independent tribunal. They gave it to
themselves.

Mr Costello belted the building workers for getting a perk not payable
to other Australians,but forgot to mention politicians' tax free
travel allowances.

Mr Costello is guilty of applying a double standard.

 I Lost another days pay today.

Bye
Anthony :)