Lurks and perks !

It seems that recently resigned Premier Morris Iemma is petitioning the state government to be granted the lurks and perks usually afforded holders of the state's highest political office. The only problem is that his term of service is several months short of the qualifying four year period.

Ex-Premiers usually get a car and driver, an office and the services of a personal assistant - all paid for by the public purse - when they leave office.

Iemma points out that Bob Carr is enjoying these perks - and that Neville Wran still has these facilities available decades after his term of service ended.

This raises a thorny question that rankles many members of the public. It may be reasonable for a recently retired Premier to have a need for such facilities in the months immediately after leaving office. There may be matters to finalise and such a person would hold patronage positions in many charities.

The sticking point is that this largess seems to be bestowed - for life !

One of the problems is the long list of people who claim entitlement to some sort of ongoing public expenditure. They include past Prime Ministers as well as Premiers, a vast array of ministers and of course Governors - and the Governor Generals.

Surely bestowing these facilities should have a time factor involved. Perhaps a five year period would be generous, because any holder of high office retires on a very generous pension - and providing these services in addition to that pension could be seen as double dipping !

But don't hold your breath waiting for change. There is a vast difference between the treatment of politicians and the general public.

While Iemma implores his colleagues to grant him access to the gravy train - single pensioners do it tough and wait until next year to see if they will be granted a miserable thirty extra dollars a pay period to lift them off the bread line.

It makes you wonder who is the master - and who is the servant !