Christmas presents all round for the politicians with pay rises ranging from just over six grand a year to the Prime Minister's thirteen and a half thousand.

But before you pack a hissy fit about the snouts wallowing in the public trough, reflect on what happened with their pay earlier this year. The Remuneration Authority had its largesse reigned in after the politicians passed an urgent law through Parliament's bear pit, loftily declaring they were well enough paid.

At the time they were being offered a pay rise of three and a half percent, once their travel entitlements were taken out of the mix. They, led by the mega rich Prime Minister, said they were entitled to no more than the pen pushers in the public service.

Well clearly the bureaucrats are doing quite nicely, largely dependent of course on what the Beehive's willing to pay them, which essentially means the politicians have a role in what they end up getting themselves!

So the latest pay rises ranged from just over three percent for the PM to more than four percent, or a rise of six grand, for backbenchers. And all back dated to July which should make their Christmas break, which extends through until February, easier to contend with.

As John Key's chipping his way around the Hawaiian golf course with his buddy Barack Obama, he should stand the drinks at the 19th hole, given the pay rise he's just got.

The last American President to get a salary increase was Bill Clinton back in 1999 when his pay rose to four hundred thousand greenbacks, or just over half a mill of our money, which clearly shows they're not in it for the dosh, although that comes after they've retired.

Given the amount they spend, or more correctly is spent on their behalf to get them into the White House, their remuneration package is a pittance, although supermarket shopping for the First Lady isn't high on her agenda.

Over the years the American tight wads have significantly reduced their President's pay packet, down from Bill Taft in 1909 who was the highest paid at $1.9 million in today's dollars, dropping back to tricky Dickie Nixon's pay packet of $1.2 million 60 years later and now to just half a million bucks for Obama.

And while Key's shouting the drinks for Barack's birdies, he should reflect on the fact that he doesn't even need his pay, he donates it to charity, or so he tells us.