Your Daily Ten@10 - 2026/106

This is edition 2026/106 of the Ten@10 newsletter.

Hi all,

This is the Ten@10, where I collate and summarise ten news items you generally won't see in the mainstream media.

Enjoy!

1. Who will sort out MP perks and pay?

Bryce Edwards

• 💸 Growing scrutiny over MPs’ pay, housing allowances, and superannuation raises doubts about whether meaningful reform will happen
• 🌍 Public anger at politicians’ perks is rising globally, fuelling populist movements and distrust of the political class
• 🗣️ Heather du Plessis-Allan labels MP entitlements “outrageous” and argues politicians should scrap them to restore credibility
• ✈️ Taxpayers have spent about $6 million over a decade subsidising travel for retired MPs and their spouses, including business-class international flights
• 👥 Wealthy former politicians are among the biggest beneficiaries, with some couples claiming over $100,000 each
• 🏛️ Irony: architects of free-market reforms are now long-term recipients of generous state-funded travel subsidies
• ⚰️ Perks extend beyond MPs’ lifetimes, with spouses continuing to claim benefits years after their partner’s death
• 📈 Costs are rising, with increased funding for former MPs’ travel despite cuts to welfare and housing support in the latest Budget
• 🧾 Defenders argue perks were part of historical compensation, but critics say they are uncapped, opaque, and unjustified
• ⚖️ Original democratic intent—to enable ordinary people to serve in Parliament—has evolved into entrenched privilege
• 🔒 Reforms tend to protect existing beneficiaries (“grandfathering”), allowing costly perks to persist
• 🤝 Cross-political agreement is emerging that these travel perks are indefensible and should be abolished

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