We want our PM to be on call 24/7. It’s their job…
They should be talking with the other ministers, other leaders, their advisers, and perhaps have some few hours for a prime time with the family. Unlike the CEOs of big companies, the pay is lower but the demands are more intense, and the media follow the political gossip and back stabbing from “friends and foes” as if they were god’s truth.
The latest gossip, and it was gossip created by the right-wing, about the PM’s breakfast benefits are a great example of the stupidity of pettiness in politics.
OMG – “the PM was receiving a free breakfast every day”, an it appeared that, “she was not paying tax on this benefit”, and she “obviously did not care, or realise that this was VERBOTEN”!
The papers and right wing politicians had a field day just before the municipal elections here in Finland.
FinnishNews asked the government for information under the Freedom for Information rules about the breakfast benefit rules in place for the last 10 or 20 years for past PMs – we only asked for a summary of the policies that have been in place.
After two weeks, we received a 5-page note explaining that for €800 we could have some unfortunate worker go through all the invoices and files in a dusty archive and make copies for us! Since we are a non-profit, no income newspaper it was out of the question that we would fork out cash for this. What did transpire from this missive from the government was that it appears that past PMs had all enjoyed similar benefits without any outcry and without paying taxes… naughty boys and girls!
The Finnish President has three huge official residences and a nice pension without too many arduous duties. His salary and housing is tax-free.
He certainly works every day and certainly is actively involved behind the scenes but the intensity of his work is not at the same level as the PM. He does not cook, clean or do the repairs. If he does, it is probably very occasional to impress his family or simply for fun…
Nobody expects a male President or PM to cook, clean or do maintenance work on the house, and certainly few CEOs of big companies bother with hoovers, frying pans and hammers. But it appears that a female PM is expected to do this and pay taxes…
Let’s talk about equality of the sexes… and let’s get a sense of proportion in politics. We should want our politicians to be concerned about Climate Change, Employment, the smooth running of the basic services, security and democracy.
– https://kuvapankki.valtioneuvosto.fi/l/2n7pG8ZmbRvD CC-BY-4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.fi)
