Canberra’s best federal rep Andrew Leigh will perform his shadow assistant minister duties on a backbencher’s salary … Leigh has been Labor’s most articulate performer besides Chris Bowen when it has come to commenting on economic matters.
The ABC have called on him at every turn. Because he doesn’t have faction heavyweights looking after him, and Shorten was bovver-boying over his factional mate Kim Carr, Leigh has been gypped.
However, in a truly impressive interview in the media, he said that worrying about someone in the top one per cent pay rate, like him, dropping to the top two per cent was no biggie.
It does beg the question though – couldn’t one of his less high-performing shadow colleagues have copped it? Like, the one who has announced he is retiring at the next election and will never be a minister?
Pictured are ACT Labor candidate for the Senate David Smith, Senator Katy Gallagher, Member for Canberra Gai Brodtmann and Member for Fenner Andrew Leigh at the ALP’s election night function at the Press Club earlier this month. Photo: CHARLOTTE HARPER