Murphy's Law-Half pay
for politicos
A new twist in the on
again off again saga
of the "glorified
county council"
that is the Six County
suspended Stormont parliament,
has seen Paul Murphy,
the Secretary of State,
announce that the pay
of elected members will
be reduced by half.
Called MLAs rather than
MPs, this is one of
the cruelest cuts ever
inflicted on politicians,
Unionist, Nationalist,
or whatever, in that
tiny area of Ireland
to which England still
clings, a blood stained
remnant of a decayed
empire.
The Northern Ireland
Assembly has had an
intermittent existence
since its establishment
in 1998, being suspended
almost at whim by the
Secretary of State of
the day. Its present
suspension has lasted
eight months, dating
to October 2002. Elections
scheduled to have been
held in May have been
postponed.
First the salaries of
its members were cut
to £31,817, about
75% of the original
full salary. Now Murphy
has decreed they be
reduced to £20,660.
No sittings-half pay.
Its a constitutional
revolution which, if
it ever extends to Canada,
will see the cost to
taxpayers of the Canadian
Senate, that unelected
affront to democratic
principles the world
over, drop dramatically.
A day's work for a day's
pay! How quixotic! An
application of this
new version of Murphy's
Law to Canada will have
our S.T.Ss. (sober thinking
Senators) writhing in
their pocket books,
twisting in their bank
books, doodling in their
account books, staring
poverty in the face
as it stares right back
at them.
Would-be appointees will
shudder each time their
telephones ring, fearing
an offer from the Prime
Minister of a seat in
the Senate.
"What have I done
to deserve this?"
What indeed?
--30--
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