Andrew Willcox, Fatima Payman, Don Farrell top spenders
Australian taxpayers have spent more than $4 million on travel for politicians’ families and spouses since the election of the Albanian government; During this time, four lawmakers each claimed more than $100,000, while others claimed less than $1,000.
Northwest Queensland Nationals MP Andrew Willcox took the majority of MPs with a $123,769 bill for family travel, followed by Western Australian independent senator Fatima Payman, who claimed $118,790. South Australian Trade Minister Don Farrell came third with $116,306, while Western Australian deputy minister Pat Gorman claimed $112,866.
Farrell’s expenses included flying a family member to Uluru for a free dinner and to Sydney when he was offered free tickets. La Boheme At the Sydney Opera House – Sports and Communications Minister Anika Wells was put under the spotlight on Tuesday as her spending was scrutinized across the board, involving other government ministers.
The outrage over Wells’ expenses, which began last week when it emerged that the Commonwealth spent $95,000 to fly him as a staff member and senior public official to the United Nations in New York, has sparked a public debate about MPs’ use of taxpayer-funded powers and whether they are meeting society’s expectations.
Wells lodged his expenses with the Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority on Tuesday afternoon.
The authority’s data shows Wells’ family travel expenses reached $43,026; this is the 28th highest figure among parliamentarians. Wells was surpassed on family travel spending by fellow ministers Farrell and Attorney-General Michelle Rowland, as well as Premier Anthony Albanese, former opposition leader Peter Dutton and 20 MPs from WA, the Northern Territory and regional Queensland; these MPs travel among and through large remote electorates, often incurring higher travel costs.
South Australian politicians, including Labor MPs Steve Georganas and Marielle Smith and Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young, also left Wells behind on family trips, as did Bendigo MP Lisa Chesters. Hanson-Young’s expenses included $1,124 for family flights to the Gold Coast on the same weekend she received free tickets to BluesFest in Byron Bay this year. Daily Telegraph It was reported on Tuesday.
Rowland spent the most on family benefits of all capital MPs on the east coast, followed by Wells. They both have young families. one of them Rowland’s biggest expenses included billing taxpayers $16,050 for three family flights on a week-long trip to Western Australia, for a total travel cost of $21,685. Australian Financial Review first reported Tuesday.
The coalition has sparked a political row over its decision on Wells’ spending, while some opposition MPs have also spent thousands transporting family members around the country while attending events.
For example, Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price charged taxpayers $6,581 for family flights between Perth Sydney, Brisbane, Darwin and Newcastle over the course of a week in April this year while traveling across the country for election campaign events. It is the eighth biggest spender on family travel in parliament.
Nationals MP Anne Webster, from the Victorian regional electorate of Mallee, ranked 30th for family travel expenses, spending $2976 to have a family member accompany her on a four-night trip to Perth for the World Transplant Games in April 2023, where she also claimed a $1676 travel allowance. Webster joined as co-chair of the Parliamentary Friends of Organ Donation group.
On a separate three-night trip to Sydney in October 2023, Webster claimed $2253 for family flights but claimed only a one-night travel allowance for parliamentary business after attending an immigration conference. Webster’s office declined to comment.
A minister earns about $400,000 a year, while a backbencher’s base salary is about $240,000.
Under family reunification rules, federal MPs are allowed up to three round-trip business class flights a year and the value of nine business class flights to Canberra for family members flying between the MP’s home base and a city outside Canberra. There are also three round-trip economy flights to Canberra per child, with some flexibility in the rules allowing ministers to request more.
The measures are designed to support politicians’ family lives given the extent of their travel, but MPs have discretion over how to implement them. Those claiming the least for family travel include independent MP Dai Le ($170) and NSW Labor Senator Jenny McAllister ($398).
Canberra-based cabinet ministers Katy Gallagher and Western Sydney MP Chris Bowen have not made any claims for family allowance since Labor came to government in 2022.
Home Secretary Tony Burke claimed $1,528 for family travel. After charging taxpayers $12,708 for his family to join him at Uluru in 2012, Burke refunded $8,600 in flights in 2020, saying the expenses did not meet community expectations.
The Labor ministers who spent the most on family trips were Farrell ($116,306), Western Australia minister Madeleine King ($76,692), Northern Territory minister Malarndirri McCarthy ($75,717), Albanese ($75,321), Rowland ($52,600) and Wells ($43,600).
Farrell, who is charging $2094 for a family flight to Uluru for a free sunset dinner, said reunion rules were an important part of the parliamentary framework. “[They allow] “We will include diverse members and senators who will represent their communities in our nation’s parliament,” he said.
“Our parliament would be a smaller place without mechanisms to allow young mothers, single parents, those with families and those with caring responsibilities to serve as elected members.”
But Liberal MP Steven Kennedy, who has called for a $600 family benefit since joining parliament last year, said it made sense to limit family flights to economy class and then suggested the benefits could be scrapped altogether.
“I have more radical views about what you can do. I think you can get rid of it all.” [family] travel or gifts,” he told Sky News.
Kennedy said he didn’t want to demonize family travel for rural lawmakers because it allows them to see their children more often, but he worried such powers could encourage people to get involved in politics for the wrong reasons.
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Natassia Chrysanthos is a Federal Political Correspondent. He has previously reported on immigration, health, social issues and the NDIS from Parliament House in Canberra.Connect with: excitement or email.
Brittany Busch is the federal politics correspondent for The Age and the Sydney Morning Herald.Connect via email.
