Jim’s role model

news.com.au reports:

NICK LALICH, Labor MP for Cabramatta and mayor of Fairfield City Council, is one of State Parliament’s ”double dippers”.

When he was elected to Parliament in 2008 at a byelection he decided to keep his job as mayor and collect both salaries.

His parliamentary salary is $130,540 a year, his annual electoral allowance is $39,950, his logistical support allowance is $31,380 and he has a mail-out allowance of $65,384. Total pay and allowances: $267,254.

As mayor he receives $53,980, plus $20,320 as a councillor. He enjoys the full-time use of a council-supplied Ford sedan, and ratepayers pick up the tab for his petrol, registration, insurance and servicing. Total council remuneration: $74,300.

To sum up, as MP and mayor Lalich receives a total of $341,554 a year, which is more than the salary of Prime Minister Julia Gillard ($335,580).

Jim will leave his mentor for dead. His combined salary and expenses if he gets to triple dip may approach one million dollars.

I calculated here his annual parliamentary cost will be $690,000. The Mayor gets paid around $170,000 and one can easily imagine Jim will rake up expenses of $130,000 around his mayoral office. So I reckon Jim may end up costing taxpayers and ratepayers a combined $1 million if he wins.

Plus of course as a 72 year old, Jim is also getting his non means tested national super.