Editor’s note: A meme has been doing the rounds on the internet in the wake of #Censusfail (well, to be honest, there have been a quite a few memes, all up) comparing the salary of the Chairman of the US Joint Chief of Staff with the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ Chief Statistician:
The former, who commands the world’s most powerful military, including over one million men and 4,500 nuclear warheads, earns a salary of, give or take, depending on the time of day, AU$316,156. The latter, who, you know… can pull between $493,530 and $705,030. That’s one hell of a stat. We’ll leave it to Grumpy Motorist for some commentary:
There’s too much financial waste in government organizations on individuals and departments that don’t deserve nearly that much – or to even exist in the role.
We complain about sportsmen getting over-paid for kicking a pigskin or running in a straight line, but many of those are paid through the sponsorship of companies and through membership of fans, with minimal funds from tax payers.
Politicians and bureaucrats: cut the fat, take a pay dive, direct the saved funds toward returning the country to a surplus and investing in the nation’s future, rather than lining your already grossly overweight pockets.
Photo by rubenerd 
