Are taxpayers still funding Rudd's obsessive pursuit of Rupert Murdoch and other pet projects?
Saturday, 25 March 2023
Thank you Seeker of Truth who reports:
As we know, Rudd is Ambassador to the US which is a very well paid job. He has been gagged by the Albanese government on talking on other matters (domestic politics) except those that relate to his Ambassadorial duties.
He has resigned from his US based Asia Society and he has stepped down from his role in his push for a Royal Commission into Murdoch media. Basically in accepting the role of Ambassador, he has been gagged by the Government in commenting and conducting business on any other matter.
Last night Sky News questioned why is Rudd still operating his government funded office given to former PMs which includes a fully paid political adviser and other staff when Rudd can't engage in anything else but his Ambassadorial duties. The answer is that his political adviser is now running the anti-Murdoch campaign and Rudd's office is his base which it was even before Rudd's new appointment.
So it appears that taxpayers are paying for Rudd and Turnbull's anti-Murdoch campaign, with Turnbull to be the mouthpiece. Rudd's advisor is Jared Owens. And there is also another person working in the former PM's Brisbane office
The Department of Finance has informed Sky News that only PM Albanese can step in to stop this waste of hundreds of thousands of dollars a year but we know that Albo will never do that to a PM who made him his Deputy. And Jim Chalmers wants to stop the waste of money in government! Pull the other leg.
The government Act under which former PMs are funded these offices and staff is the Parliamentary Business Resources (former Prime Ministers) Determination 2017 Act. The Act refers to "official business" to be conducted in this type of set up. It even defines "official business" -
6 Meaning of official business
(1) For the purposes of section 16(2)(a) of the Act, official business means business undertaken in the capacity of former Prime Minister and may include, but is not limited to,:
(a) preparing for, participating in, or attending to matters arising from an official government, parliamentary or vice-regal meeting, event or function to which the former Prime Minister has been invited in their official capacity;
(b) preparing for, participating in, or attending to matters arising from a meeting, event or function to which the former Prime Minister has been invited in their official capacity;
(c) representing the Government or Australia, with the approval of the Prime Minister;
(d) undertaking research, communication or administration connected with their role as former Prime Minister;
(e) correspondence or other communications to, with and on behalf of members of the Australian public;
(f) other activities directly related to, and engaged in for the purposes of, performing the role of former Prime Minister.
(2) Official business does not include activities related to:
(a) a commercial purpose; or
(b) a private purpose, such as for personal benefit for the former Prime Minister or personal benefit of another person.
https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/F2019C00438
And the term of a US Ambassador can be more than three years as has occurred a number of times in the past.
This waste will go on for years to come.