Whatever you think about the lockdowns – too tough, too soft or about right – one thing is clear.

We’re absolutely not “all in this together”.

When you think about the hit taken by working Australians – according to economists, we’re losing 25,000 jobs every single week we’re in this lockdown – it’s infuriating that our politicians are handing themselves pay rises.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews will pocket an $11,000 pay rise
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk is pocketing a $27,600 pay rise
NSW politicians the best of all - an extra $1 million in perks such as chauffeurs and VIP flights
Who pays for that? You know the answer to that one.

Which is why it’s just so galling we have to listen to the “we’re all in this together” mantra from the politicians and public servants.

That’s why we’re demanding they take a pay cut, every time you’re in lockdown.

And our campaign is getting traction, thanks to your support.

So far more than 15,000 Australians have signed the Advance petition calling on politicians and public servants – except hospital workers – to take a 10 per cent cut in their pay. Almost 200,000 people have seen our content on social media.

This movement is taking off.

According to a poll in The Daily Telegraph, a massive 83 per cent of Aussies believe “politicians and public servants should take a Covid pay cut”.

According to the Institute of Public Affairs, just 9 per cent of people disagreed with the idea that politicians and bureaucrats earning over $150,000 should lose 20 per cent of their pay.

Not only that, former Liberal MP Craig Kelly has said he will push legislation to cut the salary of MPs and senior public servants by $750 a week during lockdowns.

At least this means politicians from all sides of parliament will have to explain why they won’t take a haircut on their massive pay packets, which so far have been untouched by the pandemic.

What makes it worse is that our current crop of political leaders are spending precious little time thinking about the future of our nation.

How exactly do they think we’re going to dig ourselves out of the debt and deficit they’re creating?

Former Prime Minister Tony Abbott had the right idea, telling the Menzies Research Centre, “our country does not need more marketing graduates … it does not need more arts and sociology graduates … frankly, it probably doesn’t need as many commerce or law graduates either”.

“What we need is more sparkies, chippies, more mechanics, more welders,” he said.

“We need people who can build things.”

There are too many people in this country who are good at talking, especially on social media, but too few who can get things done.

As we work our way out of this pandemic, that’s exactly what we’re going to need.

Have a good weekend and to those in lockdowns we are thinking of you - hang in there,