Bloody hell! Joe is up for $650k to pay 85% of just his bill? And Fauxfacts will be up for $200k in fines, 100% of their own legal fees and 15% of Joe's legal fees - and Hempy, Fauxfacts and the Left are presenting this as a Fauxfacts victory?

They're going to have to sell an awful lot of SMHs to pay for this.

It brings home how out of control our legal system is. The only people who seem to have the assets to take a case to the High Court are asylum seekers.

A legal system that is unaffordable for 95% of the population isn't a legal system.

And that's the question I keep asking Saltie. Where do the likes of the AS and the chocolate shop looney get the money to go to the high court?

This is worth a read, even you Hempy, (Thanks Managed Descent).

News - WHY I REALLY DON'T LIKE BILL SHORTEN - The Pickering Post

Doesn't Julian Burnside provide his services to asylum seekers gratis? That's what I heard.

I highly doubt the asylum seekers are paying "retail price", so to speak. If they were really that wealthy (as in wealthier than any of us) there would be no need for them to attempt to enter Australia 'illegally' as there is probably a conventional immigration pathway available to them.

And who pays for the time expended by all the court staff? The salary of the judges? And who has his time in court delayed? I'm always amazed how quickly the asylum seeker cases get heard. I understand that for normal people, the delays can run into years.

Just asking

Neither Hockey nor Fairfax would have nipped down to the local Denis Denutto-style suburban solicitor. The whole thing has been QCs at ten paces :ooh:, but they're both fleecy-lined and were willing to hire the big guns.

Parabellum, at the moment I reckon the Labor Left hate Shorten even more than Pickering does :ouch:. It's a day before National Conference and he's lobbed boat turnarounds into what was already shaping up as a factional bun fight. Now they're petrol-soaked buns...:eek:

This might be fun to watch.

You mean Joe Hockey failing his own 'sniff test' in regards to travel rorts as revealed on Channel 10 news tonight?

Snouts in the trough... :yuk:

They are all into rorts, Hempy.

In other news, I just heard that idiot Ian Rintool interviewed. He of course is in max vapour mode as Labor has announced, that they to, will turn back the boats.

Mr Rintool's argument now is....if people can get themselves to Indonesia, then in fact they are in Australia, and should be allowed free access to Australia.

Some one in Indonesia is actually in Australia? What drugs do these people live on?

Oh. Ok, fair enough then. Let's just leave them to it and give them all a big 'well done'! I mean it's only the Speaker of the House and the Federal Treasurer.

As long as they are 'all doing it', it's fine. Typical right wing ideology :yuk:

As I mentioned, it seems only the Greens leader is interested in reining in the entitlements available to MPs.

A remark that seemed to be met with deafening silence in here, I might add.

Chuboy, that is one Greens policy I would be willing to support. I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for anything to come of it though. The two major parties will quietly close ranks and freeze the Greens out. Can't have the gravy train even at risk of being derailed.

Post retirement benefits for politicians is another think I'd love to see ditched. I know it will never happen though.

The Greens can say all sorts of stuff, safe in the knowledge that they're very unlikely to ever be in a position to form government. It's easy for them to be virtuous when they know they'll never actually have to deliver on the promise.

Cf. any other minor party from either side of the fence. Even major parties get caught out with this occasionally when they have an unexpected win. Qld Labor have had a few awkward moments already, notably with the 'smaller cabinet' promise. :\

Oh for the love of God, I`ve had it again;.....:rolleyes::ugh:

Can someone please tell me how I can erase this vision from my mind whenever I hear about the Pollies `entitlements:rolleyes:`??:E:}:=

Pinky,
I'd been away for a few days and had just logged on.
The subject of feral cats caught my eye.

I'd had a bit to do with the eradication of feral cats.
It's a lost cause, I fear.

Best we try dealing with feral politicians, I think.

Oh no, Bronnie is at it again. It's time to go, Bronnie.

Tit, meet Tat:

"FRESH from being returned in a farcical leadership spill, Julia Gillard yesterday flew to northern NSW on a taxpayer funded VIP jet for a staffer's wedding and several low key announcements.

Ms Gillard, along with Treasurer Wayne Swan and Finance Minister Penny Wong, will today attend the Byron Bay wedding of her press secretary Laura Anderson and Mr Swan's chief-of-staff Jim Chalmers.

Her office confirmed the PM flew to northern NSW on a RAAF VIP Challenger aircraft.

MPs are only entitled to use the RAAF special purpose flights for "commitments associated with their official responsibilities and other purposes including parliamentary business".

They cannot be used by any member of parliament for purely personal business, Ms Gillard's spokesman said. He said Ms Gillard's attendance at the wedding was sandwiched between official duties scheduled for the weekend in northern NSW, Melbourne and Sydney."

No Cookies | dailytelegraph.com.au

david1300,

March 23 2013? Surely you could come up with some news thats a little more contemporary?