A Coalition senator has accused his own government of caving to "populist pressure" with its crackdown on parliamentary perks and blamed "shock jocks and dishonest journalists" for stoking unfair criticism of politicians.
Ian Macdonald railed against Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull's decision to scrap the Life Gold Pass - a notorious post-Parliament entitlement that gives long-serving former MPs free business-class travel on the taxpayer.
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One politician's crusade for free travel
Veteran Liberal Senator Ian Macdonald is pushing to keep the Life Gold Pass that gives former parliamentarians taxpayer-funded business class travel for life.
Despite Senator Macdonald's best efforts, including several lengthy speeches in the chamber, the bill passed on the voices Thursday evening with multi-party support and without amendment.
Senator Macdonald has been inundated with hate mail since he took a public stand on the issue last week but refused to back down, saying politicians work such long hours they effectively get paid "less than $50 an hour".
Senator Macdonald would have been eligible for a Life Gold Pass when he retired but said his stand had nothing to do with his own perks. Rather he was looking out for the "elderly retired politicians" who did not have a voice in the debate.
"I'll probably be carried out of here in a pine box," he told the Senate on Thursday. And if he does eventually retire he has no intention of getting on a plane again.
He said the government's legislation - which he sought to amend to take out all retrospective elements - was all about appeasing the "lying commentariat" and populist hysteria.
"The shock jocks and the lazy journalists and sub-editors churn out the populist line because it's easy to do so, it always gets an energetic response from a small section of the community," he said.
Earlier the backbencher - who earns $200,000 a year - said he wanted to know where the entitlements witchhunt would end.
"It won't be long before trips by ministers to Europe and America are called into question," he said, suggesting they may have to start travelling economy class.
Then people might come after their Comcar limos: "Populism will decree that they should go too and politicians should take a bus or a taxi without any thought for security.
"And instead of the big flash offices in the electorate perhaps politicians should just meet constituents in the privacy of their own home?
"And if we're to follow the populist approach, why bother with those hated, money-grabbing, self-serving politicians at all?
"Perhaps Hitler, Stalin and Idi Amin had the right idea - don't bother about a Parliament and you don't have to bother about those pesky parliamentarians at all."
Jewish groups were horrified by the remarks, with Dvir Abramovich of the Anti-Defamation Commission telling Fairfax Media: "Ian Macdonald has crossed so many red lines I stopped counting."
The Life Gold Pass once offered former MPs unlimited travel at taxpayers' expense. Changes in 2002 limited that to 25 return flights a year and further changes in 2012 limited it to 10 return flights.
The Gillard government scrapped it for any MPs elected after 2012. Now it will be fully abolished for all but former prime ministers and their spouses, although Mr Turnbull says he will not use it.
Senator Macdonald said former prime ministers should have also lost access to the pass.
"I can't fathom the logic behind allowing Julia Gillard - perhaps Australia's worst PM for a three-year term - to have a Gold Pass for the rest of her life while someone like Peter Costello - who did magnificent work for 13 years - is banned," he said.
with Michael Koziol
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