The answer is quite simple, become a NSW Politician. Lee Rhiannon and the NSW Greens have compiled a listing of the incomes for the NSW MPs . This includes money for many perks - but not all of them. Many of the perks are unaccountable. So how much do the NSW MPs earn each year?

Lee Rhiannon

Lee is a member of the Legislative Council representing the Greens faction. I wandered across her website after reading this article in the Sydney Morning Herald (unable to locate it) discussing the pension perks the NSW politicians were giving themselves. Her site led me to the Democracy 4 Sale website which was discussed in a previous diary . Her website also contains the collation of incomes for NSW MPs .

It is good to see a third party watching over the major factions and presenting empirical data that exposes the amount of graft and perpetuation that is inherent in the State Parliamentary system. In 1855, The Age contained the warning words;

The lives of some of our governing classes are still scandalous, they engross all the places of honour and profit, they delay business, they perpetuate themselves, they meddle in private matters, they are unjust, proud, ambitious, self-seeking and unless there be some power to check them, it will be impossible to prevent our ruin.

Self-government just changed the manner with which power was concentrated.

NSW MP Incomes

One thing that becomes obvious from the manner with the Greens have structured the income tables is that perks make up nearly half of income for the major factions. The NSW Labor Party costs NSW $13.4 million in salary, but $6 million in perks. The NSW Liberal Party costs NSW $4.6 million in salary and $2.2 million in perks. The Nationals costs NSW $2.4 million in salary and $1.5 million in perks.

Highest Income + Perks. The average for all NSW legislators is $250,697.39;

• $371,457.00 Bob Carr (ALP-Maroubra)
• $363,836.10 Bob Debus (ALP-Blue Mountains)
• $361,124.10 Kerry Hickey (ALP-Cessnock)
• $352,589.00 Grant McBride (ALP-The Entrance)
• $349,935.10 David Campbell (ALP-Keira)

Lowest Income + Perks;

• $165,170.00 Eddie Obeid (ALP-Legislative Council)
• $165,170.00 David Clarke (LIB-Legislative Council)
• $165,170.00 Gregory Pierce (LIB-Legislative Council)
• $166,485.00 Jenny Gardiner (NAT-Legislative Council)
• $166,485.00 Gordon Moyes (CDP-Legislation Council)

Highest Income. The average for all NSW Legislators is $170,909.92;

• $285,410.00 Bob Carr (ALP-Maroubra)
• $257,470.80 Michael Egan (ALP-Legislative Council)
• $250,463.10 Andrew Refshauge (ALP-Marrickville)
• $248,969.20 Tony Kelly (ALP-Legislative Council)
• $245,781.10 Carmel Tebbutt (ALP-Legislative Council)

Many share the lowest income. The lowest pay scale for the Legislative Assembly is $141,005.00 and the lowest pay scale for the Legislative Council is $146,950.00. There twenty-two on the lowest salary for the Assembly and twenty-nine on the lowest pay scale for the Council

The Perkulators

The lowest amount of perks by any legislator on this list is Eddie Obed (ALP-Legislative Council) with $18,220.00. The perks for many of the country region legislators can rival their income for this reason their salary is put after their region.

• $129,711.00 Peter Black (ALP-Murray-Darling) salary $177,645.00
• $125,940.00 Steve Whan (ALP-Monaro) salary $161,940.00
• $123,582.00 Ian Slack-Smith (NAT-Barwon) salary $170,345.00
• $123,569.00 John Price (ALP-Maitland) salary $207,345.00
• $123,140.00 Ian Armstrong (NAT-Lachlan) salary $167,300.00

The average for the cost of perks was $79,787.46 for all legislators in NSW. Of the top fifteen that incurred the greatest cost on the NSW taxpayer for perks - six were ALP, none were LIB, seven were NAT and two were independents.

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