Gardyloo!

Mark Latham never fails to unleash a stream of shit everytime he opens his mouth. "I grew up poor," he says, "And struggled lots. I'm a real Aussie Battler!"

OPPOSITION Leader Mark Latham would still scoop $4.5 million in superannuation payments even if he slashed his own entitlements, the government said today.

Victorian Liberal MP Greg Hunt said Mr Latham was on track to be the highest earning retired Australian MP in history despite his pledge to slice $1.9 million off his super entitlements.

If Mr Latham served as Prime Minister for nine years, retired at 52 and lived until he was 90 he would have collected $6.4 million in superannuation, before his planned $1.9 million cut, Mr Hunt said.

"What hasn't been pointed out is that he would still be getting $4.5 million," he told reporters.

"Mark Latham by his own figures is the $4.5 million man."

Mr Latham has promised, if he became Prime Minister, to cut his own super entitlements to cabinet minister level, giving up between $500,000 and $1.9 million in future benefits.

And to recap what Mark said a couple of weeks ago:

Well, I think politicians need to recognise that a lot of the public distrust and cynicism about double standards, and when people see a Parliamentary super scheme that's way out of line, far more generous than the community standard, well, it's hardly surprising that the public makes a grievance about that.

So, as I've said last week at our conference, we've got a responsibility to bring parliamentary life, public life back into good public regard, and getting rid of double standards and improving the ethics of politics...

Henceforth, thee shall be known as Gardyloo Mark, by way of warning the public of the hypocritical shit about to come.



For those who don't know, "Gardyloo!" is a cry that used to be heard in the slums in Scotland (and France, too-- apparently). It meant that shit and piss and slop would come flying out of the chamber pots, out of the window, and onto the open sewerage below. It served as a warning to people walking around in the street.