Sunday 27 April 2014

Future Fund Board of Guardians spends $12,000 on two Christmas parties while Abbott Government takes budgetary razor to Australia's most vulnerable


Last week was another public relations fail for the Abbott Government as went about selectively hinting at the range of cuts it intends to introduce to funding for Australia’s most vulnerable people and communities.

Herald Sun 26 April 2014:

Former treasurer Peter Costello’s Future Fund spent $8000 of taxpayers’ money on a Christmas party at a venue called La Di Da that offers burlesque evenings; but it insists there were “absolutely not’’ any strippers….
Mr Costello, Australia’s longest-serving treasurer, established the sovereign wealth fund in 2006 and was appointed as chairman by Joe Hockey in February.
No other candidates were considered for the $198,000-a-year part-time job. According to documents tabled in Parliament, a second Christmas party was then organised for the fund’s seven board members and 75 staff at an extra catering cost of $4000.
Since Tony Abbott was elected the Future Fund has spent nearly $5000 a day on airfares, $900,000 on ­recruitment costs and $15,500 for “human chemistry” consultancies….


Australian Treasurer and millionaire Joe Hockey photographed after a Spectator Magazine function at the somewhat luxuriously appointed Doltone House in Sydney on 23 April 2014, during which he gave a scaremongering speech on the need for us all to live within our national means.

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