NOWHERE is the electorate’s suspicion of, and contempt for, politicians, and politics, more pronounced than it is in regard to the “perks and privileges” of public office.
The defeat of Merri Rose in the Queensland State Election only confirmed that politicians seen to be having a good time at public expense risk political oblivion.
The two Queensland Liberal Senators up for re- election later this year have recently received the kind of media coverage that would cause most politicians to have nightmares.
But it seems that Senators Brandis and Mason are happy to risk electoral wrath given their very ordinary defence of their overseas travels together at taxpayer expense.
They no doubt do so because they hold positions one and two on the Liberal ticket – positions that would ordinarily secure their easy re-election.
My “newsagents poll” yesterday confirmed that the “Courier Mail” front page story on the Senator’s travelogue went over very badly with voters. As one newsagent told me, customers would pick up the paper, read the front page story – and accompanying colour photographs – and mutter words such as “typical” and “bludgers”.
The Queensland Senate poll could be fertile ground for their opponents, especially minor party opponents, provided they get their act together.
Perhaps the only Senator capable of maximising advantage from the revelations is Senator John Cherry. Senator Cherry’s only real prospect of re-election is to take votes from the Liberal and National Parties.
The sugar issue, and the sale of Telstra, may be fertile ground he could till to undermine the National Party vote in regional and rural Queensland.
The indulgence of Liberal candidates one and two could well be just as fertile in Brisbane and South East Queensland.
A final point. Senators Brandis and Mason won’t be alone in having their indulgences paraded in the media. Today it has been revealed that South Australian Liberal MP, Trish Draper, took out an injunction against “Today Night” to block a story on her overseas travels, accompanied by her boyfriend.
High risk stuff that……….especially as the daily press has taken up the story already!
In recent months, the “Daily Telegraph” has had both Bob Carr and John Brogden, and their MP’s, on the back foot through the exposure of the overseas travels of NSW State MP’s.
Given the responses by Senators Brandis and Mason to the revelations about their travels, the media will no doubt be encouraged to delve further – and that will be of little comfort to all sides of politics.