The expenditure includes airfares, travel allowances, vehicle and office costs.

A Rudd government initiative empowered the Department of Finance and Deregulation to publish the costs every six months.

The details also show what former prime ministers spend and also the activity of retired veterans and spouses, who until recently had generous, business class travel entitlements for life. This is why the transparency is important.

Yes, if you pay peanuts you get monkeys. To attract talented and experienced candidates for Parliament the nation has to pay reasonable remuneration, so these people can do their job, albeit in an uncertain career.

The point is, what do they do all day? House of Representatives members are forced to work hard whether they like it or not, because of the short, three-year term, which historically is really two and a half years.

In Tasmania's House of Assembly the term is four years, while it is six years in our upper house and the Senate.

In the UK the parliamentary term in the House of Commons is five years. There is certainly room to cruise in some parliaments, once you've become familiar with the routines.

Ministers and office holders in all parties are usually run off their feet. For the backbencher, especially in opposition, life can be a gold-plated peach.

Our senators should explain what they do, because for much of the year we hardly hear from them.

Senator Helen Polley is holding a forum in Launceston which is impressive because it means she is engaging the community.

Former senator Guy Barnett held numerous healthy lifestyle forums in Tasmania and Canberra. Other senators probably work hard but if their activity is under the radar they risk being tagged as drones in a beehive; rubber stamping party decisions and pocketing the perks.

If they want to rid themselves of the drone, or snouts and trough syndrome they need to show what they do and give the media something substantial to write about.

They could try being senators in the so-called "states' house"; representing Tasmania's interests, ahead of their own.

- BARRY PRISMALL, deputy editor