Life on a fraction of Barnaby’s salary

SURELY the ultimate example of a footin-mouth expression is that of Barnaby Joyce in his sad story of poverty ( Mercury, July 29). His reason for supporting an increase in the Newstart allowance is his own stated inability to survive on his ‘miserable’ $211,250 annual parliamentary salary.

I fully agree that the Newstart allowance should be increased for those genuinely seeking employment, a primary reason is that it costs money to search.

Currently, with unions, public servants and lower paid workers in general agitating for wage increases, it is already noticeable that prices of many everyday commodities are increasing steeply which is leaving recipients of welfare far behind.

Australia has an increasing number of age pensioners, who somehow subsist on $28,041 per annum.

Serious consideration must be given in Canberra to ensuring that living standards of age pensioners are not left in the wake of burgeoning wage and price increases.

Unfortunately age pensioners have no bargaining leverage, as workers do by threats of withdrawing their services.

The only relief they can offer the Australian government is to die, thus absolving another payment. Macabre but true.

But for those of us who have determination to live on and find what enjoyment of life remains on our paltry fraction of Barnaby’s handsome salary, life is well worth living.

All this while poor Barnaby cannot afford to go to a butcher and is compelled to butcher his own meat, presumably from his own farm.

My heart bleeds for him.