The Greens senator who likes to pull others up for making mistakes – using the senate committee system as a star chamber – has once again made a mistake of her own, getting her numbers wrong during a senate committee hearing this week.
Senator Barbara Pocock was using her platform to attempt to lambast the Bureau of Meteorology for a cost blowout, when she mistakenly accused the department of a $55billion dollar overspend rather than $55million.
With a wry smile, she corrected her mistake – but it isn’t the first time the former economics professor has got her figures in a twist.
A month ago Daily Mail Australia revealed Senator Pocock’s $99,900,000 gaffe when she grilled government officials over a ‘missing’ $100million payment which didn’t actually exist, compounding the error by tweeting about it.
The payment she mistakenly referred to was in fact $100,000 not $100million, and while the senator claimed ‘key milestones had not been properly met’, both the government department and the service provider denied this.
Not good with numbers? Senator Barbara Pocock (pictured) has again got her numbers wrong
The Greens Senator eventually deleted her inaccurate tweet but only after questions from Daily Mail Australia.
The senators latest arithmetic mistake may also be a false allegation, with the Bureau of Meteorology challenging the way she described the costs being referred to. Questions have been taken on notice.
The senator also used a radio interview on the ABC in July last year to claim partnerships such as the big consultancy firms do not pay payroll tax in Australia.
However this is simply not true either. These firms do pay payroll tax on their employees like any other business.
Mistakes happen right? Former economics professor Barbara Pocock (pictures) keeps making mistakes
This week a NSW parliamentary committee handed down its report into the consulting profession.
The Greens on that committee are recommending payroll tax be applied to partners in big consulting firms, not just employees, something that doesn’t apply to any other partnership arrangement in any other profession.
It would represent double taxation.
At least the NSW committee has reported back in a timely fashion, however, unlike its federal colleagues. T
The NSW committee started its enquiries long after Pocock’s senate committee was formed and began its hearings – yet has now reported back before it.
The senate committee has delayed handing down its report on no less than four separate occasions. It was due to report back today but appears to have now delayed doing so for a fifth time.
That is despite it claiming reforms in the sector are ‘urgently needed’.