Members of Parliament & Their Career Post Politics

The ugly end of the stick smells of the argument... "MPs don't earn nearly as much in Parliament as they would in the real world, you cannot deny them a career after Politics"

You hear that comment you can reply with "Utter Bollocks & Putrid Tripe!!!"

It is intellectually corrupt. No one is denying anyone a post politics career & not all politicians earn more before & after politics. There's a ton who make more in politics than they did as a Union Organiser, Postman, Manager of Joblink and the list goes on. 
Some are on the best wicket of their lives because they earn more without extras for being on committees, plus travel costs covered etc. So no, "Utter Bollocks & Putird Tripe!!!"

In the case of Ben Wyatt, he was up until the recent State Election a senior member of Cabinet, the State Treasurer & a minister of other portfolios. Now his duty was to serve the best interests of the WA public not the WA Labor party but we all know all parties blur that line or cross it with rampant abandon.

His "fiduciary duty" was owed to the people of WA. He was a democratically elected public servant.

When he left politics, he didn't waste time. He joined the board of Woodside & days later joined the board of Rio Tinto. In the case of Rio, he'd previously ripped into them for the destruction of significant sites of historic & cultural merit to the local Indigenious community. He blasted them by saying the board needed to have someone who understood the sensitivities of Pilbara Indigenous Culture.

Here's the rub. He is on the board. His "Fiduciary Duty" is owed to the shareholders, not community members or any residents of the Pilbara or the staff or other stake holders. Even if Ben was appointed as a Nominee Director on behalf of Pilbara Indigenous people, the Corporations Act is still 100% very, very clear. His "Fiduciary Duty" is owed to two things. The perpetuity of the Company & the best interests of the shareholders...NOT PILBARA PEOPLE OR ANYONE ELSE.

When Mr Wyatt claims Rio is a "Pilbara company" - it most definitely is not. The majority of its shareholders are non Australians. Less than 20% (I think it might even be under 15% these days) is owned by non Australian companies, trusts & individuals. THAT is to whom he answers and THAT is whom he represents, trying to get them the best return on their investment.
Don't let anyone, not anyone, try to convince you otherwise...its bollocks.

Not Pilbara locals, contractors, sub contractors, indigenous or any other stakeholders. It was a glarishly dud stunt that stunk to the rafters of Political Spin.

IT IS NOT A PILBARA COMPANY

Now why did Ben Wyatt get the job, did Pilbara indigenous people nominate him as a nominee director? Well no such word on that anywhere. It appears Ben Wyatt was appointed by the board. No others involved, maybe some stakeholders were consulted but there's no paper trail to suggest that.

What Ben does bring to the company is 4 years of corporate knowledge of the WA Labor Government.
He brings close & near personal relationships with sitting members of Cabinet.
He has them on speed dial.
He has all the very senior bureacrats from the Treasurer's Office, the WA Treasury itself, the Cabinet Office.
He is the biggest conduit between Rio & the State Government ever.
Whatever he is paid, he is the cheapest lobbying officer they could have ever recruited & then hide him under the title of "Director" - Any legislation covering lobbying firms or individuals won't apply. 

Crisp, clean teflon.

He also brings great understanding of the corporate strategy of not only Treasury but Cabinet, very handy for a mining company looking to expand & do deals with Ministers & Cabinet.

So, Ben Wyatt IS Rio Tinto. He is representing Rio, he is operating in the best interests of Rio and no one else...or he breaches the Corporations Act. As most of the shareholders are overseas we now have a potential sovereign risk with the WA Cabinet potentially being easily accessed by a foreign mining company.

THIS IS WHY THERE SHOULD BE AT LEAST A 3 YEAR GAP BETWEEN LEAVING CABINET & JOINING ANY BOARD THAT DEALS WITH THE WA STATE GOVERNMENT. 

"Oh but he/she is of high moral standing, they've always done the right thing..." 
Really?

Can we trust all politicians now? Some we can, some we can't and some I just wouldn't risk it if I were undecided. You leave the side door open, someone will slip in & take what's there. Lets remove the doubt & wonder. Install a 3 year gap. I gather even up until very recent times Brian Burke was still a lobbyist and pre-selection mover, shaker & influencer. 

Well I think they can continue to do the right thing & not get into a position that could potentially disadvantage Western Australian Public or give rise to people jumping to conclusions real or otherwise.
Tell me, do you trust someone who's been elected to the office of WA Member of Parliament & the stand up in Parliament and say this...

And lets not just look at Ben Wyatt, lets look at another ex-MP who made this state straight after his party won Government in an election he chose not to contest. 

Now I don't know if that was a threat or a frustrated fool sounding off or a slice of truth coming out of the WA Labor cabinet or what. I do recall though, not long after Sue Ellery tried to shut School of the Air without consulting any parents, teachers or unions...or even her own Labor MPs from the North West. She also tried to shut down Moora Residential College despite the costs in closing it being greater than keeping it open and look, Feds saved it and its rebuilt and fully booked. She said she would return but never has. Lets also recall the government was going to abolish the SW Rescue Chopper. Thankfully it was saved by the opposition numbers and a number of people are now alive because the chopper wasn't abolished, it landed and attended to them.

So I'll leave the moral angle alone because I don't think I trust all politicians completely.

So its only good common sense that there's a gap between leaving cabinet and joining a board for the company to use as a Cabinet Door Opener.

If the MP is retirement age then no, I don't think they should be paid not to go on a board. Retire or go do something else. Get a job, open a business. You can wait 3 years before becoming a slippery side door snakeoil salesman stitching the WA people for your new company.

Now the argument will come up that it's an impairment to their Post Politics Career...well no.
They are significantly advantaged by virtue of the highest Public Servant role they held to get a glorious board job. If they're well worth their money, jump onto a board that solely operates in NSW or overseas. If the opportunities drop off like a dead gull on a power line its because he can only lobby a state government the company doesn't deal with or he's otherwise not worth appointing...
Who's fault is that? Not WA Tax Payers, residents & electors. You can't make it outside your sphere, it was only you connections getting you the job anyway.

No I won't support a pension to get a retired MP through the tough times. Harden up.