value for money …
Asked about the merits of the federal government’s plans to reduce the Jobseeker & Jobkeeper payments, Ms McBain acknowledged that the allowances should be reduced but was unable to say what the Labor Party believes they should be.
Ms McBain claims that the federal government should be affording her electorate more assistance because of its recent experience with bushfires, but neglects to mention assistance already being provided by the federal government through such programs as the Tourism Events Recovery Coordination Program.
Instead, Ms McBain managed to tie herself in knots by arguing that local businesses, such as gymnasiums, were being treated unfairly by being required to comply with unreasonable Covid2019 operating restrictions.
It shouldn’t be necessary for the association anyone-else to remind Ms McBain that the Covid2019 restrictions on business are a matter for the state government & not the federal government & if she thinks they should be amended, perhaps she should be lecturing the state government rather than her federal government opponents?
Ms McBain was also highly critical of the federal government’s alleged failure to develop a Jobs Plan but when it came to suggesting initiatives that she believed the government should be pursuing to assist the Bega Valley, she was only able to mention a couple of vague proposals that fell-out of council’s recent much touted Global Foundation Round Table.
At the end of the day, it seems that Ms McBain’s approach is to simply complain that the federal government is not doing enough to assist her electorate without being willing or able to offer constructive alternate proposals that she & her Labor Party colleagues believe deserve attention.
On a more positive note, the association believes the suggestion that Ms McBain should donate her annual fees as a councillor to local charities involved in bushfire recovery activities will be well received by the community, in particular given her significantly improved circumstances following her election as the Member for Eden-Monaro.
For those not intimately familiar with financial arrangements for councillors & members of parliament, the association understands that Ms McBain received $59,757 annually in fees & allowances as Mayor & as a councillor, with ratepayers also coughing-up $11,025 in vehicle expenses: a total of $70,782 (ratepayers do not contribute to Superannuation for councillors).
When Ms Mc McBain resigned as Mayor to contest the seat of Eden-Monaro, she retained her annual fees as a councillor however, on election as the Member for Eden-Monaro, she also commenced receiving an annual salary & allowance of $251,000, plus $38,600 in Superannuation: a total of $308,321, including the $18,667 in fees.
Even if Ms McBain does donate her fees as a councillor to charity, she will still enjoy an increase in her annual remuneration of $218,872 over what she received from ratepayers as Mayor of the Bega Valley Shire Council.
Value for money? Time will tell.
John Richardson
Secretary/Treasurer
Bega Valley Shire Residents & Ratepayers Association
Tel: 0264945669
Email: secretary@begavalleyshireratepayers.asn.au
Website: http://www.begavalleyshireratepayers.asn.au