This is edition 2026/106 of the Ten@10 newsletter.
Hi all,
This is the Ten@10, where I collate and summarise ten news items you generally won't see in the mainstream media.
Enjoy!
1. Who will sort out MP perks and pay?
Bryce Edwards
- 💸 Growing scrutiny over MPs’ pay, housing allowances, and superannuation raises doubts about whether meaningful reform will happen
- 🌍 Public anger at politicians’ perks is rising globally, fuelling populist movements and distrust of the political class
- 🗣️ Heather du Plessis-Allan labels MP entitlements “outrageous” and argues politicians should scrap them to restore credibility
- ✈️ Taxpayers have spent about $6 million over a decade subsidising travel for retired MPs and their spouses, including business-class international flights
- 👥 Wealthy former politicians are among the biggest beneficiaries, with some couples claiming over $100,000 each
- 🏛️ Irony: architects of free-market reforms are now long-term recipients of generous state-funded travel subsidies
- ⚰️ Perks extend beyond MPs’ lifetimes, with spouses continuing to claim benefits years after their partner’s death
- 📈 Costs are rising, with increased funding for former MPs’ travel despite cuts to welfare and housing support in the latest Budget
- 🧾 Defenders argue perks were part of historical compensation, but critics say they are uncapped, opaque, and unjustified
- ⚖️ Original democratic intent—to enable ordinary people to serve in Parliament—has evolved into entrenched privilege
- 🔒 Reforms tend to protect existing beneficiaries (“grandfathering”), allowing costly perks to persist
- 🤝 Cross-political agreement is emerging that these travel perks are indefensible and should be abolished
