The senior politicians with ‘uncapped’ access to taxpayer-funded family travel

2 months ago 19

Senior politicians with an uncapped spousal travel allowance have billed taxpayers more than $660,000 since the start of the Albanese government, as the opposition and Greens pressure Labor to review parliamentary spending rules.

The dozens of office holders exempt from rules restricting family travel include government ministers, the Senate president, House speaker, the opposition leader and their deputy, allowing them to fly their spouse around the country with no limit to the cost.

“There are particular travel requirements for spouses of senior office holders, particularly noting the official and quasi-official roles performed by spouses, and that senior office holders often need to spend significant amounts of time away from home,” an explanatory document of the regulation reads.

Travel for senior office holders’ spouses, including de facto partners, is “relevantly unlimited in respect of total expenses claimable each year”, the document states.

Spouses can travel for family reunion purposes, to represent their partner in an official capacity, and to attend engagements where they have been invited as the spouse of a senior office holder – for example, if they are invited to speak at a function because they are the partner of an MP.

Senior office holders’ partners also have an uncapped private vehicle allowance.

Trade Minister Don Farrell has claimed the most in family travel of the eligible politicians since the 2022 election, coming under scrutiny for charging taxpayers more than $116,000 for family transport.

Minister for Resources and the Northern Territory Madeleine King had the next highest claim, at $76,692.

The biggest spender among the outer ministry was Minister for Veterans’ Affairs of Australia Matt Keogh, who has $47,619. The cap exemption also extends to Senate President Sue Lines, who has claimed $46,886. Both Keogh and Lines are from Western Australia, which would increase costs of any travel.

Together, the senior office holders have charged taxpayers $666,504 for family travel since the start of the Albanese government in May 2022.

Backbenchers are allowed up to three return business class flights a year for family members flying between the MPs’ home base and a city other than Canberra, and the value of nine business class flights to Canberra.

The prime minister was repeatedly questioned about expense revelations on Thursday following the introduction of the teen social media ban on Wednesday.

“Do you feel like, with all these costs, and taxpayers finding out what’s included, it’s time for [the rules] to be reformed and maybe look at what is actually included?” B105 Brisbane radio hosts asked Albanese.

Albanese said he understood the controversy before repeating his argument that family travel entitlements allow for a more diverse parliament “not made up of blokes my age”.

“We have an independent parliamentary expenses authority for a reason, and that’s so that I don’t get – or the government doesn’t – determine these things on a day-to-day basis. Now, when you have an independent authority, you’ve got to allow it to do its work, and I will allow that to happen,” he said.

Albanese has spent $75,321 on family travel entitlements since he became prime minister.

The Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority enforces the spending rules, but parliament can amend the law under which the authority sits.

Opposition home affairs spokesman Jonno Duniam said on Thursday the parliamentary expense rules should be reviewed to clarify which spending was appropriate.

“I think it is something that’s worth having a sensible conversation about. How it can be reformed, refined, and ensure that there isn’t misuse of such a resource, especially some of the egregious cases we have seen, particularly by a couple of government ministers,” Duniam told Sky News.

“It is something that’s very difficult to justify. I mean, you spend $1 on a politician, and people think it’s $1 too much, frankly. And I get that sentiment, especially when people are struggling with power bills and mortgages and the like. That said though, the resources that are there should be used in alignment with community expectations.”

Greens senator Nick McKim said because the Australian people paid parliamentarians’ wages, the spending of taxpayer money on entitlements should match community expectations.

“I think it’s time we actually had a look at all of these so-called entitlements and made sure they’re actually delivered and used right across the political spectrum, in line with the expectations of the Australian people,” McKim told Today.

“The Australian people quite rightly look on these kind of things with massive scepticism. I mean, they pay our wages.”

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