POLITICIANS DISPLAY A DOUBLE STANDARD

YOUR report relating to the downsizing of the ACT Drug and Alcohol Program
(CT, March 15, p.1) and your editorial (March 15) concerning the $1.5
million per head per year cost to the taxpayer of each federal
parliamentarian clearly illustrate the double standards that apply in
today's public administration. It seems that, after an external
consultant's review, it is quite acceptable to outsource the ACT's
methadone program on efficiency grounds; but not to apply the same rigour
to scrutinising the operations of Federal Parliament. Interestingly, the UK
Parliament (which costs only $417,000 per MP per year and sits for twice as
many days as its Australian counterpart) has recently commissioned an
independent consultant to review its operations. Apparently, senior British
MPs believe that the Parliament's present operation is excessively
bureaucratic, expensive to operate, hidebound by tradition and ripe for
reform in the next century.

They are pushing for a radical transformation of the administration through
the appointment of a chief executive to run the Palace of Westminster on
more business-like lines.

The Independent MP Peter Andren has called for a similar process to be
implemented on Capital Hill (CT, March 10, p.12). But, unlike Senator
Harradine, neither of the major parties courts Mr Andren's vote. So, the
parliamentary excesses, extravagances and inefficiencies continue
unchecked, whilst those unfortunate heroin addicts who attend methadone
clinics will now have to pay twice as much for the treatment.

DON MALCOLMSON

Pearce