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The current recession has hit all Australians in one way or another. Businesses and families are slashing budgets and becoming champions of the frugal life. Luxury items are being moved to the bottom of the list of priorities, and the goal is to get back to the basics. But this new lifestyle has not been embraced by everyone, namely the Australian government.
Four government staff members recently accompanied Treasurer Wayne Swan on a trip to London to participate in a G20 meeting. The airfare for the four staff members had a price tag of about $60,000. The most disturbing part of the story is that the G20 meeting was organised to discuss dealing with the current worldwide credit crunch. Should government officials be allowed to spend $60,000 just for travel expenses to attend a meeting dealing with global overspending?
The government travellers were reported to be Treasurer Wayne Swan, Media Officer Lou Cullen, Senior Media Adviser Matthew Coghlan, Chief of Staff Chris Barrett, and Andrew Charlton, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd’s Economic Adviser. Normal procedure is for government staff members to fly in Business Class. However, staff members are allowed to upgrade their flight class when they are travelling on the same flight as a Prime Minister or Parliamentary Secretary. So, travelling government staff members always get to fly in a better class than most of us are accustomed to, but they get the very best if they’re lucky enough to be travelling with the Prime Minister or Parliamentary Secretary.
Senator Ronaldson summed up the opinion of the Coalition by stating, “I find it unbelievable that with the global financial crisis and a $58 billion deficit, the Treasurer and Prime Minister allow their staff to swan around in the pointy end of the plane, drinking champagne and eating canapes.” Ronaldson then added, “This is typical of the Rudd Labor Government — demand belt tightening from the Australian people, but then allow this sort of wasteful indulgence for its own staff.”
Mr. Swan’s spokesperson retaliated by stating that the Senator’s remarks were hypocritical because this type of travel arrangement was deemed acceptable under the Howard government. The recent travel arrangements for Rudd’s staff were “exactly the same as the previous Treasurer’s travel arrangements, including for staff.”
Referring to the urgency of the travel, the spokesperson added, “The Treasurer attended the meeting of finance ministers of the world’s largest 20 economies convened to develop urgent global responses to the biggest economic crisis since the Great Depression, accompanied by four ministerial staff.” He also commented, “This flight was spent working and being briefed, and it was unrealistic for the Treasurer not to have access to staff for the 24 hours prior to the G20 finance minister meeting.”
The question is whether the staff members were within the boundaries of thoughtful spending or if they took advantage of their positions to travel without regard to the current financial situation. Australians across the nation are feeling the pinch of the recession and are being asked to cut back on luxuries. Shouldn’t this apply to the governing officials as well?
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