THE question of senior executive pay in the NSW public service is a political football, kicked more often than the real footy on a Saturday afternoon. (Fat cats cash in, 12/3). With highly complicated administrative problems, the State does well to hire its brightest minds and most dedicated members full-time. University trained and worldly wise, these men and women live in this state, perceive its challenges first-hand and provide an intelligent series of long-term resolutions to balance the opportunistic, political, cycle-dominated machines running Macquarie Street. The alternative cost of hiring consultants from private industry abrogates the value of permanency, personal commitment to long-term outcomes and the obvious disadvantage of extra cost. The Coalition was foolish to make the promise to slash fat cat pay rates in 2019. After Daniel Mookhey’s stinging attack from the Shadow Ministry, I’m disenchanted that he plays the politics of envy, endorsing the government’s fat cat cap and implying that worker pay rises are limited because of the number of senior administrators. He fails to note the large number of union leaders on superannuation boards, who are earning salaries of equal magnitude to NSW senior public servants, yet they remain mute on worker pay demands. Alan Sexton, North Parramatta 13Mar2021.