There’s a simple lesson from the salary charts listed in today’s Financial Review: in Australia you can have money or power – but not both (unless you’re Rupert Murdoch):

TOP 13 CEOs BY SALARY (total remuneration):

Rupert Murdoch (News Corp) – $23,635,946
Alan Moss (Macquarie Bank) – $18,553,566
Wal King (Leighton) – $12,817,038
Phil Green (Babcock & Brown) – $10,316,981
Peter Macdonald (James Hardie) – $US7,153,630
David Clarke (Macquarie Bank) – $9,295,245
Roger Corbett (Woolworths) – $8,441,661
Leigh Clifford (Rio Tinto) – $US5,987,000
Tom Degnan (Burns Philp) – $7,717,999
Frank Cicutto (NAB) – $7,537,159
David Morgan (Westpac) – $7,448,730
David Turner (Brambles) – $7,072,000
John McFarlane (ANZ) – $6,903,590

TOP 13 POLITICIANS BY SALARY:

John Howard (Prime Minister) – $288,990
Geoff Gallop (WA Premier) – $263,944
Mark Vaile (Deputy Prime Minister) – $227,858
Peter Beattie (QLD Premier) – $226,399
Steve Bracks (VIC Premier) – $219,416
Peter Costello (Treasurer) – $208,406
Kim Beazley (Opposition Leader) – $205,630
Mike Rann (SA Premier) – $218,300
Morris Iemma (NSW Premier) – $215,768
Clare Martin (NT Chief Minister) – $211,572
Jon Stanhope (ACT Chief Minister) – $209,868
Paul Lennon (TAS Premier) $195,558
Federal Minister – $191,734

(Politicians’ salary figures do not include superannuation entitlements)