Michelle Rowland to repay part of family trip to WA after watchdog finds spending breached rules | Australian politicians’ expenses
Attorney-General Michelle Rowland will reimburse part of the cost of taking her family on holiday to Western Australia after the independent watchdog found her expenses breached the rules.
Rowland confirmed on Sunday that he would reimburse some of the almost $22,000 cost of the trip, which was first reported by the Australian Financial Review last week. The move makes him the first minister to repay taxpayers’ funds in the soaring expenses scandal.
Treasurer Jim Chalmers backed Rowland to keep his job despite the breach and said new advice on politicians’ travel rules would soon be received from the Independent Parliamentary Expenditures Authority (IPEA).
As communications minister, Rowland took family members on flights from Sydney to Perth during the July 2023 NSW school holidays and charged taxpayers $16,000 for the tickets. Rowland’s own fees cost another $4,242, and MP travel fees are charged an additional $1,400.
Rowland did not request any travel allowances on days when he was not on official duties in Perth and covered his own expenses and accommodation.
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Under the rules, ministers and other senior civil servants have unlimited travel allowances for family expenses, while family reunification provisions state MPs can request three round-trip business class flights to destinations outside Canberra for their families each year.
A spokesman for Rowland said he was directing a trip to IPEA from 2023 to seek advice.
“During his trip to Perth, the attorney general made at least 10 official engagements,” the spokesman said.
“IPEA finalized its advice on Friday 12 December, stating that some family reunion travel costs are outside the rules.
“The attorney general formally accepted that recommendation Friday and took steps to issue refunds.”
Scrutinies into Rowland’s spending emerged after it was revealed that her successor in the communications portfolio, Anika Wells, spent $100,000 on a ministerial trip to New York in September and used her family travel rights to bring her husband and children to sporting events and to Canberra.
Wells referred his own expenses to the monitor for review.
Liberal MP Phil Thompson also agreed to pay for a family trip from Townsville to Cairns.
Anthony Albanese has asked IPEA to advise the government on possible changes to the rules as Labor tries to contain the spending scandal.
On Sunday, Chalmers acknowledged disappointment with politicians’ spending, saying media scrutiny was “driving some pretty significant concerns in society”.
“These rules are all about trying to ensure that while we try to be the best ministers we can, we can also be the best parents we can,” he told Sky News.
“I understand there isn’t a lot of support for that in the community where the rules reflect that, but that’s what the rules are about and we do our best to abide by those rules.”
Chalmers said he did not believe Rowland should resign and supported him continuing in his role as the nation’s first law officer.
“I think Michelle did the right thing to ask IPEA to re-examine, just as Anika asked the independent body to make sure everything going on here is compliant. I think that’s appropriate too.
“I also think it is appropriate for the Prime Minister to seek advice. We will receive this advice in due course and take it into consideration.”
An investigation has also been launched against special minister of state and trade minister Don Farrell after Guardian Australia revealed he charged taxpayers more than $2,200 to travel to Canberra on the same weekend he attended the wedding of a press gallery journalist.
