World's highest paid politicians: 1. Lee Hsien Loong - MSN Money

[SNAblog]

World's highest paid politicians: Latest Ranking By MSN Money

http://money.ca.msn.com/savings-debt/gallery/gallery.aspx?cp-documentid=24079420&page=10

May 1, 2010

World's highest paid politicians

1. Lee Hsien Loong, Prime Minister, Singapore

Annual salary: $2.75 million (US$)

The highest-paid politician by a staggering margin, Lee Hsien Loong has often defended his extravagant salary. In a recent U.S. trip, Loong highlighted how American politicians, because of their low annual salaries, may have other interests — future pursuits, perhaps — that could distract them from their public service. "Our attitude is: you must pay for the quality of the person you want," he said of his high earnings. "You want the best person and you want him to be properly motivated." Still, rhetoric aside, there are many who justly suggest Loong's annual income is far too high for governing Singapore, a tiny nation of less than five million people. The P.M.'s salary of $2.75 million per year is more than 80 times that of the average Singaporean family. (note: it is the household total income, not individual)

 

[SNAblog]

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2. Donald Tsang, Chief Executive, Hong Kong

Annual salary: $515,300

To Tsang's credit, the well-compensated chief executive has been a loyal employee of the civil service. Hong Kong's head of government has maintained a public job since 1967, working his way up through posts in the finance and trade sectors. And while Hong Kong's civil servants are traditionally well paid — a strategy that aims to attract "capable and enthusiastic candidates" to public work, as Tsang himself once pointed out — never has Tsang earned more than with his current post, held since 2005. The 65-year-old's salary is more than 21 times what the median household earns per year in Hong Kong, where an average family takes home just $24,000 annually.

 

[SNAblog]

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3. Barack Obama, President, United States

Annual salary: $400,000

The salary of Barack Obama, despite making him the third-highest earning public figure on the planet, seems positively miniscule when you consider the bloated Wall Street bonuses the President has had to police during the early months of his presidency. Yet $400,000 is a lot, especially when compared to the average U.S. household income — just over $50,000 when last measured in 2007. Obama, as did other presidents, does earn outside income while in office (his millions made from best-selling books were mentioned in this feature's intro) but his most lucrative years may be to come. Like Tony Blair, the ex-British P.M., many former U.S. presidents earn much more than their in-office salaries after their terms finish. Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, for example, each make as much as $150,000 for speaking engagements around the world.

 

[SNAblog]

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4. Brian Cowen, Taoiseach, Ireland

Annual salary: $342,400

Ireland's Taoiseach, the country's head of government, is the highest-paid politician in all of Europe. And while Brian Cowen has only held office since 2008, his salary has already become a lightning rod in Irish politics. During his first year as Taoiseach, Cowen denounced business leaders taking huge pay increases during the outset of the country's financial meltdown. It was then, of course, that Cowen became eligible for a $50,600 per year raise of his own — a pay hike he took in stride. The Taoiseach's opposition fumed over the fact that Cowen earns more than seven times what the average Irish family does per year.

 

[SNAblog]

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5. Nicolas Sarkozy, President, France

Annual salary: $319,800

Unlike in other governments where top-ranking officials earn similar salaries, France awards its top-brass with incomes that far exceed other public figures. Sarkozy, who has been France's president since 2007, and his Prime Minister, François Fillon, both earn 50 per cent more than the next highest-compensated member of the French government. Yet the French president's salary — which still towers over the average national household income of $58,000 per year — wasn't always so high. As recently as 2007, the first year of his presidency, Sarkozy earned a paltry-by-comparison annual income of $135,200.

 

[SNAblog]

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6. Kevin Rudd, Prime Minister, Australia

Annual salary: $315,800

Rudd and the rest of the federal government have been recent beneficiaries of a three per cent raise — an increase that bumps the Aussie P.M.'s salary up by almost $10,000 every year until 2011. A Senate leader actually called for Rudd's salary to be tripled to $1 million, but the everyman Prime Minister sheepishly declined. In fact, Rudd's three per cent raise was a long time coming. After he took office in 2007, the newly-minted Aussie leader froze his own salary and then deferred a similar increase the next year. The P.M. remains committed, he maintains, to improving the quality of life for all people in Australia, where the average annual household income totals just over $60,000.

 

[SNAblog]

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7. Stephen Harper, Prime Minister, Canada

Annual salary: $309,800

Canadians are world class when it comes to grieving about taxes. And who could blame us? Last year, according to the Fraser Institute, the average Canadian family lost 42 per cent of their household income to taxes. Because of this, the ire of the Canuck taxpayer always falls on figures with public salaries, and no such official earns more in Canada than Harper. Wherever you stand on the P.M.'s annual salary — is it too much, or too little? — the Conservative leader earns a wide margin more than the average Canadian. As of the last census, full-time Canadian workers made an average of only $41,401 each year.

 

[SNAblog]

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8. Jacob Zuma, President, South Africa

Annual salary: $305,800

Sixty-eight year old Zuma has already caused turmoil among his nation's taxpayers during his brief presidency. Since his election win last year, Zuma has implemented an eight per cent salary increase for all public office bearers — even backdating his own raise to his May election date. Zuma is notorious in South Africa — a country where the World Bank estimates more than half the population lives below the poverty line — for a 2005 rape charge, as well as lengthy, public legal battles against charges of corruption and racketeering. Still, the President is the highest-earning politician in all of Africa.

 

[SNAblog]

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9. Angela Merkel, Chancellor, Germany

Annual salary: $303,800

The only female leader to crack the top 10, Merkel has led the German government since 2005. With nicknames such as "The Iron Frau" and a nagging comparison to former tough-talking British P.M. Margaret Thatcher, it's no surprise that Merkel has handled the recent Greek financial collapse with similar resolve. When Greece asked Germany — where the average worker's income is just less than $30,000 per year — for an $11.2 billion bailout earlier this month, Merkel only agreed under the premise that Athens present a sustainable, deficit-cutting plan before any German funds would be released. The Chancellor's plan, according to her finance minister, Wolfgang Schaeuble, "won't cost any [German] taxpayers' money at the end of the day" and should be in place by this weekend.

 

[SNAblog]

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10. Gordon Brown, Prime Minister, United Kingdom

Annual salary: $300,400

Brown, the Scottish-born leader of the U.K's Labour party, has always boasted that he's a man of the people. And it's that political motivation that now has the British P.M. in a fight to raise his nation's minimum wage from $8.97 to $11.75. Brown's salary, while nearly nine times more than the average English worker's income, is actually quite modest when compared to other world leaders. But, perhaps Brown has his sights set on future earnings: Tony Blair, the man Brown succeeded as P.M. in 2007, now makes as much as $600,000 per speaking engagement at events around the world.

 

[ccchia]

The truth of the matter is that in Sinkieland, the Prataman (our President) is paid even more than the PM for doing nothing much.

Also, we actually have 3 PMs in office (the father, the son and the unholy Goh), so that the total salary for the "PM" is in fact US$2.75 million x3 = around US$9 million per year. Not yet included in this calculation are the numerous bonuses and free lunches at the Istana, AND the pension that all of these guys have been receiving from age 55 years, while they are still employed in the gahmen service as PM, SM or MM etc.

 

[Brightkid]

Wait till MSN hears about the other 29 of them in Singapore.

It will put all the other non-Singaporean politicians to shame in their ranking beyond 30.

 

[UseYourBrain]

http://www.cartoonstock.com/lowres/jfa1400l.jpg

 

[johnny333]

Looking at the high pay that the Spore MPs are getting, one might conclude that there's alot of corruption in Spore,


Isn't that the rational for the high pay, to keep these politicians honest

 

[jacobsgoh]

Re: World's highest paid politicians: Latest Ranking By MSN Money

http://money.ca.msn.com/savings-debt/gallery/gallery.aspx?cp-documentid=24079420&page=10

May 1, 2010

World's highest paid politicians

1. Lee Hsien Loong, Prime Minister, Singapore

Annual salary: $2.75 million (US$)

The highest-paid politician by a staggering margin, Lee Hsien Loong has often defended his extravagant salary. In a recent U.S. trip, Loong highlighted how American politicians, because of their low annual salaries, may have other interests — future pursuits, perhaps — that could distract them from their public service. "Our attitude is: you must pay for the quality of the person you want," he said of his high earnings. "You want the best person and you want him to be properly motivated." Still, rhetoric aside, there are many who justly suggest Loong's annual income is far too high for governing Singapore, a tiny nation of less than five million people. The P.M.'s salary of $2.75 million per year is more than 80 times that of the average Singaporean family. (note: it is the household total income, not individual)

All other politicians are only elected by their countrymen/women, lky's son is different, he is the country's owner's son, being EXCLUSIVE, its only fair that he gets more the the others.

 

[SNAblog]

Lee Hsien Loong: ""Our attitude is: you must pay for the quality of the person you want......You want the best person and you want him to be properly motivated."

This guy is paid more than Barack Obama. Is this the kind of quality our PM is refering to? Is he even fit to be a minister?

LABOUR chief Lim Swee Say played weatherman on Saturday and provided this reading of the economic situation: a sunny spell now, but with winds and scattered showers ahead.

 

[kaipoh]

How Come their salary can't event match our dumbest ministool? I think our dumbest ministool still smarter than the top brass. singaporean #1?

 

[makapaaa]

Singapore's World Records
On this small island lives the 30 best-paid politicians in the world, comments a blogger. MySingaporeNews.
Apr 3, 2009
As the economic crisis worsens and thousands are being retrenched, the huge salaries of Singapore's political leaders have come under the spotlight not only here - but overseas.
With G20 leaders gathering in London to work out solutions to the global crisis, the Times compiled a list of "the 10 best-paid politicians in the world" - naturally with Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong taking the top spot.
The story was picked up by The Australia, which also works out their salaries when ranked against population.
Mr Lee earns S$3.76 million (US$2.47 million) a year, excluding bonuses, allowances, pensions, etc which add on a significant bit.
This is about 54 cents per head of population. In second position was his counterpart from New Zealand at 9 cents. The rest of the world are all down there, below even the lowest-ranking minister in Singapore.
But Singaporean blogger redbean's "My Singapore News" carries a calculation from its reader, Green Peas, expanding on the UK and Australian reports.
It pointed out that the world's 30 best-paid politicians (a definition that will include ministers, elected president, etc) are all from Singapore.
Here's what the blogger says:
The TOP 30 highest paid politicians in the world are all from Singapore:
1. Elected President SR Nathan - S$3.9 million.
2. Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong - S$3.8 million.
3. Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew - S$3.5 million.
4. Senior Minister Goh Chok Thong - S$3.5 million.
5. Senior Minister Prof Jayakumar - S$3.2 million.
6. DPM & Home Affairs Minister Wong Kan Seng - S$2.9 million.
7. DPM & Defence Minister Teo Chee Hean - $2.9 million
8. Foreign Affairs Minister George Yeo - S$2.8 million.
9. National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan - S$2.7 million.
10. PMO Miniser Lim Boon Heng - S$2.7 million.
11. Trade and Industry Minister Lim Hng Kiang - S$2.7 million.
12. PMO Minister Lim Swee Say - S$2.6 million.
13. Environment Minister & Muslim Affairs Minister Dr Yaccob Ibrahim - S$2.6 million.
14. Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan - S$2.6 million.
15. Finance Minister S Tharman - S$2.6 million.
16. Education Minister & 2nd Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen - S$2.6 million.
17. Community Development Youth and Sports Minister - Dr Vivian Balakrishnan - S$2.5 million.
18. Transport Minister & 2nd Minister for Foreign Affairs Raymond Lim Siang Kiat - S$2.5 million.
19. Law Minister & 2nd Minister for Home Affairs K Shanmugam - S$2.4 million.
20. Manpower Minister Gan Kim Yong - S$2.2 million.
21. PMO Minister Lim Hwee Hwa - S$2.2 million.
22. Acting ICA Minister - Lui Tuck Yew - S$2.0 million.
23 to 30 = Senior Ministers of State and Ministers of State - each getting between S$1.8 million to S$1.5 million.
Note: 1. The above pay does not include MP allowances, pensions and other sources of income such as Directorship, Chairmnship, Advisory, Consultancy, etc to Gov-linked and gov-related organisations or foreign MNCs such as Citigroup, etc.
2. Though it is based on an estimate, the data cannot be far off the official salary scales.
The above was posted in redbeanforum by Green Peas.
(London Times report: http://timesbusiness.typepad.com/mon...the-world.html)
http://mysingaporenews.blogspot.com/...icians-in.html

 

[methink]

Place the world's top politicians against the 30 best paid minitoots, and what do we have?

We have a group of the most creative and productive ppl vs a bunch of nincompoops boh lampar!

Getting average pay but answerable, compared to highly paid yesmen unaccountable and non-transparent!

Sinkies are really sick to pay such ppl an unaccountable salary!

 

[motuiti]

LHL consistently defends his salary by saying get the best man for the job. Is he really the best man?