There is a long history of Australian politicians from both sides going into well-paid private sector jobs after politics – often in the very industries that they used to regulate.
Recent notable examples include former federal Coalition ministers Andrew Robb and MacFarlane, as well as former Labor telecommunications minister Stephen Conroy.
Now you can add former NSW roads minister Duncan Gay. From The SMH:
Former NSW roads minister Duncan Gay has taken a paid advisory role with a private transport and infrastructure consultancy weeks after leaving state parliament.
Mr Gay quit politics at the end of July…
After 29 years in the Legislative Council he is entitled to a lifetime, taxpayer funded pension of more than $100,000 a year.
The former Nationals minister has joined the advisory board of MU Group, which bids for NSW government transport contracts.
MU Group has been recently awarded contracts for consultancy services on the Parramatta Light Rail project worth more than $1.6 million.
The job, which Mr Gay began on August 25, came to light in advice from the parliamentary ethics advisor tabled in the Legislative Council…
The tabled advice by parliamentary ethics adviser John Evans notes MU Group provides business services for transport and infrastructure projects for clients that include both business and government…
Greens MP and democracy spokesman Jamie Parker said there was a “glaring conflict of interest when ministers jump ship into industry.”
“We’re seeing former ministers go through a revolving door into the industries they regulated,” he said.
“If this government is serious about addressing the perception of corruption, then this practice must be stopped.”
Mr Parker called on the government to introduce a restriction on former ministers working in an industry they regulated for at least two years after leaving politics.
As noted by Alan Austin last year:
The rationale for generous pensions for MPs is that they can engage in public service – as Malcolm Fraser did chairing an overseas aid agency – and thus avoid the temptation of corporate payoffs…
So why do we have a conga line of former politicians having their cake and eat it too – collecting fat parliamentary pensions while also working in corporate roles in industries that they used to oversee?
The corrupting of Australia continues…
