PM Howard said he knew the pay rise would not be popular but said it was deserved, particularly compared to huge salaries for business executives and other professionals. He will receive a $21,000 rise to $330,000 a year.

Since 1999, Federal MP’s salaries have increased by about 40%, while inflation has risen by just 23.2%. Howard’s own salary has inflated to an extra $207,000 per year from $123,000 in 1998. Salary is the least of tax payer’s worries though when it comes to the PM’s expenses.

In 1993 Howard amongst many others, roasted former PM Keating over plans to buy a $20,000 dining table for the Lodge. Howard however, obviously was well justified in purchasing an $82,000 table for his personal tax payer funded residence, Kirribilli House.

Our poor PM was a bit red faced though recently when observers caught him trying to sneak another publicly funded extreme make over, this time for his own private dining room at Parliament House. He was forced to abandon plans for extending seating capacity by 4 for the very reasonable sum of $540,000.

Little Johnny clocks up about $200,000 a year worth of chauffer driven personal car travel, and about $1000,000 a year for his personal RAAF taxi service (VIP flights). The overseas travel bill for him and his wife in recent history has been noted at over $3000,000 in a single year.

The cost of maintaining both the Lodge and Kirribilli House as official residences of the PM, has been conservatively calculated to be around $1500,000 per year. Speaking of Kirribilli House, did everyone notice John’s cocktail party a while back, you know the one where he charged invited guests $8000 per head and had tax payers pick up the tab for the alcohol consumed by those guests? A publicly funded, private party, for privately funding, a political party?

On July 11, opposition leader Kevin Rudd announced a Labor government would allow for greater powers in monitoring supermarket pricing amid voter concerns regarding increasing grocery bills. It may be an election stunt which doesn’t amount to much but at least its non offensive, unlike a parallel attention seeking bid labelled as a response to Aboriginal child abuse. In response to Mr Rudd, Howard and Costello were at their usual arrogant best.

In summary, they asserted keeping inflation low was the best way to impede rising grocery costs and that their governance had kept inflation to half the rate of a previous Labor government. Then there was the familiar war cry “Australian families have never been better off than they are now” from the excitable, jittering little baboon.

This just doesn’t add up in the real world. I’m forced to question whether the government is ever anything but 100% deceptive. The only component of our economy under the Howard government which has failed dismally to inflate, is the wages of low income earners.

I suggest we confine the PM within a reality TV show, remove his identity, then give him a Newstart Allowance and watch him strive to house, feed, clothe himself and pay other living expenses with little more than $200 a week. I reckon he might be a bit of a weak link.

The Rann Government’s ongoing reform of the education system will be strengthened with an additional $76 million in spending over four years on Education and Children’s services.

This will deliver record spending of $10,496 per student – an increase of $2898 per government school student (38%) since the former Liberal Government’s last budget.

Treasurer Kevin Foley says education has been a major priority over the past four years and this will continue into the government’s second term.

“Our education priorities are driven by a desire to give every South Australian child the best possible opportunities and to meet the skill needs of the State into the future,” Mr Foley says.

http://www.ministers.sa.gov.au/news.php?id=633

and

The appointment of two deputy chief executives will help drive major reform for the Department of Education and Children’s Services.

Mr Gino DeGennaro has been appointed as Deputy Chief Executive, Resources, and Ms Jan Andrews commenced today as Deputy Chief Executive, Schools and Children’s Services.

Chief executive Chris Robinson said the department was embarking on a major reform agenda which included Education Works, Children’s Centres, Trade Schools and a new SACE.

“This is about strengthening the department’s strategic capacity to deliver these State Government reforms in 2007 and beyond,” Mr Robinson said.

“We are entering a new era in the delivery of quality schools and services for young people in this State. We are committed to ensuring all young people are given the skills and values to achieve their potential."

“This has been backed by an increased $76 million investment over four years in the 2006-07 budget for education and children’s services in South Australia.”

http://www.decs.sa.gov.au/mediacentre/files/links/DeputyCErelease.pdf