Mr Badami’s contention (Echo, 1 April) that members of parliament who aren’t holding cabinet positions at the moment are spending time at the tax-payer funded trough, and are seemingly ambitionless and reaping the perks and lurks of office, would indicate that he could benefit from some time-observing and learning from the daily life of any federal politician.
He may find a background that explains the accelerated ageing that most of them experience.
He might discover that these people take part in representing their constituents in issues that never make the headlines.It could become apparent to him that there is an enormous amount of work done that is not on display at question time.
These are constantly being addressed by the members and their parliamentary and electoral office staffs without being sung to the rooftops, whether they be Liberal, National, Labor, independent, Green or One Nation.
The idea that a Parliamentarian who is not bearing a ministerial role is not working implies that a teacher who is not a head teacher or principal is not working, or that a nurse who is not a nurse unit manager or a director of nursing is not working.
Politicians suffer enough misguided, ill-informed criticism from people who have no idea about just what their job entails. It would be helpful if journalists occasionally engaged in educating their public about the reality of public life.
For four decades The Echo has printed the stories some people loved, some people hated, and some pretended not to read. If you want us to keep telling the truth, the real truth, not the sugar-coated version. We’ll need your support to keep the presses rolling. 
