Fed: Katter says super cuts means politics is for the rich

AAP General News (Australia)
02-16-2004
Fed: Katter says super cuts means politics is for the rich

Federal independent MP Bob Katter says slashing MPs' superannuation could result in
only the rich going into politics.

He says being a politician is a thankless job and reducing entitlements will make it
harder to tempt people into parliament and result in worse government.

Mr KATTER has not said if he will support Prime Minister JOHN HOWARD'S proposed laws
to scale back the superannuation entitlements of future MPs.

MPs and senators entering parliament from the next election can expect to receive as
little as a quarter of the pensions due to their longer-serving colleagues.

Mr KATTER has told the Nine Network he's ignorant as to his current entitlements, but
knows the changes to superannuation will make it more difficult to make politics appear
as an attractive career.

He says it's not a very happy profession these days and trying to get people there
is very difficult so any disincentives put into the system would make that much harder.

AAP RTV sm/psm/

KEYWORD: SUPER KATTER (CANBERRA) WITH AUDIO

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