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Oh they're more dangerous than that seamisty. Creating a perception of safety is causing the good ship Australia to steam full speed towards that iceberg.
Increasing the velocity of money makes it easier to collect taxes. (And government employees get paid from taxes.) And Aussie $ saved and jammed in superannuation (i.e. investment capital with heavy restrictions on it's application) doesn't flow as freely.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Velocity_of_money
Also, remember that public servants don't have skin in the Superannuation game like private sector workers. They're safely in defined benefit schemes that pay e.g. 7 * Final Average Salary. Think that more people on the pension (after their super investments are wiped out) means less money for pubic servants? Well, they won't be competing for the future tax $ to fund their retirement lifestyle. Not since the Future Fund was set up. Skimming $ (billions ?) every year off the tax take. Oh and the Future Fund competes with our funds for investment opportunities and the best quality staff. The usual justification is that Public Servants earn less up front. Hmmm - lets look at the ASIC numbers.
From pages 65-67 of http://asic.gov.au/asic/pdflib.nsf/LookupByFileName/ASIC_AnnualReport-2009-10.pdf/$file/ASIC_AnnualReport-2009-10.pdf
In 08-09 it looks like 716 of the 1656 staff (43%) were paid more that $82K. Or at least 26.6% of them were paid more than $94,700. How's that compare to the nation as a whole?
From table 9 of http://www.ato.gov.au/corporate/content.aspx?menuid=0&doc=/content/00268761.htm&page=8&H8
14% of all taxable incomes were above $82,690
10% of all taxable incomes were above $94,159
I'm not sure if the ATO numbers include Aussies who didn't file a tax return or if the ASIC numbers are pro rata for part timers but these numbers paint a very telling counter-argument. I doubt these published ASIC salaries include super.
Thath ASIC link should have been http://asic.gov.au/asic/pdflib.nsf/LookupByFileName/ASIC_Annual_Report_08-09_full.pdf/$file/ASIC_Annual_Report_08-09_full.pdf