Big wage cut for politicians

Shame it's not in NZ or the UK

Singapore will slash its top politicians' unpopular multimillion-dollar salaries by at least a third, a new salary scale shows,

but its ministers will stay among the best paid in the world.

The cuts were promised by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong to appease public anger after a landmark general election in 2011,

and he himself will take a 36 percent pay reduction to $A1.63 million.

The cuts will be retroactive to the start of the current government's five-year term on May 21, 2011 and new guidelines will

peg pay to the well-being of ordinary Singaporeans.

http://news.msn.co.nz/worldnews/8398364/singapore-to-slash-politician-salaries

To be fair, and this might not be the popular view here... our ministers arent actually salaried that much! I was surprised to learn the PM is only on circa £80k per anum. I wouldn't do the job for that much!

Personally, i'd rather see investment bankers in every country have bonuses and salaries cut and the profits/saved wages from banksused to help fill the deficit that arose from a mess they helped create.

Them and Carlos Tevez.

David Cameron who is the current British Prime Minister earns £142,500 per year. Recently the Civil Service disclosed the salary's of all of

the Cabinet members who earn over £150,000. David Cameron's £142,500 was used as a bench mark for this.

Read more: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_much_money_does_the_Prime_Minister_of_the_United_Kingdom_earn_yearly#ixzz1iYnJ1LMS

Singapore's previous President argued that if you paid high salaries to politicians you not only attracted the most able people who would otherwise work in different professions but ensured their freedom from corruption and independence from lobbyists. I dont know if it worked, but have sympathy with the argument.

To be fair, and this might not be the popular view here... our ministers arent actually salaried that much! I was surprised to learn the PM is only on circa £80k per anum. I wouldn't do the job for that much!

Personally, i'd rather see investment bankers in every country have bonuses and salaries cut and the profits/saved wages from banksused to help fill the deficit that arose from a mess they helped create.

 

Them and Carlos Tevez.

I would totally agree with this! I don't think our MPs get a massive salary for the job they do, the responsibility they have and the grief they take. Would you do it for £80k? I wouldn't.

I would rather they were paid much higher but then had no other (conflicting or otherwise) business interests whatsoever.

David Cameron who is the current British Prime Minister earns £142,500 per year. Recently the Civil Service disclosed the salary's of all of

the Cabinet members who earn over £150,000. David Cameron's £142,500 was used as a bench mark for this.

 

Read more: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_much_money_does_the_Prime_Minister_of_the_United_Kingdom_earn_yearly#ixzz1iYnJ1LMS

So Gordon was earning £140k when he decided that everybody earning over £150k should pay 50% tax...

Probably a different thread.

Our MPs aren't paid enough for the job they do. They should just give them all a 6 figure salary and let them get on with it. Most of the expenses scandal only happened because they were encouraged to claim almost as top up to their salary. If we cut their salaries too much, only people of rich backgrounds will be able to afford to become MPs.