And speaking of the Chump Effect, earlier this month TAFKAS noted that:
As CBD reported, Cormann flew out from Perth on Sunday and will spend the next couple of weeks pressing the flesh in Europe, no doubt ably helped by his old Senate buddy George Brandis, the Australian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom. Best of luck.
In this same post, TAFKAS asked:
[W]hat’s the bet that travel and entertainment costs will not be borne by the beneficiary but rather by Australian tax payers.
Well. Here’s your answer. 100%:
Cormann, a Liberal Party power broker and Australia’s longest-serving finance minister, left the Senate in October to run for the job and is travelling around Europe on a Royal Australian Air Force Falcon jet to rally support. Europe is central to Cormann’s push as it is home to 26 of the OECD’s 38 member countries. Full membership for the latest entry, Costa Rica, is still in train but they will also have a view on the next secretary-general.
Not even slumming it in first class. Nope. An Australian Airforce Jet with associated flight crew.
Good thing Australia is governed by a fiscally responsible Liberal National Party.
Oh and what is one of the OECD’s favourite projects? To ‘name and shame’ and punish low tax jurisdictions to protect the OECD member oligarchy from tax rate competition.
You have commendable predictive powers TAFKAS
TAFKAS, the expression you are looking for is
“I don’t want to say ‘I told you so’ but I did, in fact, predict this outcome.”
🙂
Wow to think I used to donate to that insiders’ club. As I said yesterday, the purpose of the Liberal Party is to provide nice jobs for connected people.
https://www.airforce.gov.au/technology/aircraft/air-mobility/dassault-falcon-7x
Dassault Falcon 7x price – around $60 Million US.
Fuel to fly one person to Europe (and return “empty” plane)? Around 40,000 litres.
Won’t be able to to that anymore in a zero emissions world!
Oops, That’s 40,000 litres each way
Obscene.
Is there a benefit to AUS in him having the job? Does it give us insider running on anything? Does it keep out some scumbag openly hostile to our interests? I’m open minded on this.
Let’s pretend it’s helpful to us. A guy with senior govt experience in a real policy role* who speaks 4 European languages might not be the worst choice in the world.
* climate is not a real policy area
you can take the boy out of Brussels but you can never take Brussels out of the boy.
Politicians are leeches, we all know that.
You have just reinforced the obvious.
The silly thing is that the pollies wonder why we detest them so much!
I expect to go the rest of my life never seeing a politician out in public. Which is probably a good thing.
The Politicians and Bureaucrats have been quietly ramping up their international travel.
International travel is no longer for the masses. Only for the elite.
You did however get to pay for all the infrastructure that supports this travel by the elite.
Well of course he has to use one of those since he and his government and their European colleagues have destroyed tourist air travel only the creme de la creme are now able to fly and at the peasants’ expense at that. There is so much to despise there.
And if the OECD gig doesn’t work out, there is, apparently, no obvious successor to Merkel – just sayin…….
Surely doesn’t come close to Perks Burke’s taxpayer-funded 2013 6 week farewell tour prior to the demise of the 2nd Rudd Government around the scenic hot spots of Europe accompanied by his then COS/GF! These people have no shame when it comes to having no qualms at feeding/gorging from the public trough. All they have learnt in their shallow pool of life’s experience is it is always “other peoples money” NEVER EVER their OWN?
I thought Turnbull was Australia’s most competent Labor PM. Scotty ic catching up at a very rapid clip.