politicalowl

Edition 1SUN 02 MAR 1997, Page 132 Furthering family values By RICHARD FARMER   FAMILY values have taken on a new meaning since the Government of John Howard became dependant on Senator Mal Colston to achieve majority support in the Senate. How to keep the valuable dollars within the family is the example being set. First of all, employ your wife on the secretarial staff and when she suffers an unfortunate accident which requires compensation from the public purse, bestow the job upon a student son and bring his spouse in on the payroll for good measure. That makes it easier to share the drive-yourself government car around the family in a way that maximises its use because Deputy Senate President dad can always get a chauffered one if he really needs it. Above all, do not stint on the living-away-from-home allowances. There's a nice little earn on the difference between the daily allowance for a Senator and the cost of a flat across the border in the struggle town of Queanbeyan....