Retiring Coalition members claim thousands in taxpayer-funded trips before quitting politics
After Coalition MPs spent tens of thousands of taxpayers’ dollars on foreign trips on the eve of announcing their retirement from politics, Opposition Leader Jess Wilson has vowed to drastically limit travel rights if elected.
Analysis of domestic and international travel statements conducted by Age It found more than half a dozen Liberal and National Party MPs collectively claimed more than $65,000 for interstate and overseas travel this term – including trips spanning North America, Europe and Asia – to announce their retirement shortly after returning to Victoria.
By contrast, the vast majority of Labor MPs who announced they were leaving politics in November have not requested any interstate or international travel over the past four years.
In response, Wilson promised to treat taxpayers’ money “with respect” and rein in the bonus by limiting the allowance to domestic travel only if successful on election day.
“The international travel allowance is inconsistent with society’s expectations and if I am elected prime minister I will cancel it,” Wilson said. Age.
Former treasurer Kim Wells has announced her retirement just five days after returning from a 12-night taxpayer-funded trip to New York and Hong Kong that cost Victoria taxpayers $8635.
Wells, currently an alternate and member of Rowville, said his reason for visiting the United States was to “explore various areas related to electoral affairs and work as a parliamentarian,” according to his travel report.
As part of the trip, Wells said he wanted to meet with legal and “enforcement decision makers” to discuss antisemitism and see Hudson Yards.
“Plan to walk towards the High Line and Hudson Yards to get to know the area and compare it to the former Mayor of Melbourne’s. [Sally Capp’s] Wells wrote in his travel report that they had prepared a plan for the Greenline project.
However, after landing in New York, his meeting with a representative from the Hudson Yards project “did not take place due to problems”.
Wells had also planned to meet his former Liberal colleague Sam Groth at the Old Mates Pub, a Manhattan bar partly owned by TV presenters Andy Lee and Hamish Blake, but was opposed by the former Liberal deputy leader.
“We would like to meet the owners and managers to get first-hand information on how New Yorkers view Victoria and Melbourne,” Wells wrote, then added, “The meeting was canceled because Sam was unavailable.”
Wells flew from New York to Hong Kong for four nights to meet with the Independent Commission Against Corruption.
On 14 September 2025, just five days after returning to Victoria, Wells announced his intention to resign at the November 2026 election.
“After discussions with my family, good friends, friends, chapter members and supporters, I have decided not to run in the next election,” Wells wrote on his Facebook page.
Victorian MPs would still be able to use their allowance to travel domestically, under Wilson’s proposal, which would be implemented if he wins the election on November 28. Foreign ministerial travel funded by government departments will remain at the discretion of the prime minister.
Three sources talking Age He said more retiring Coalition MPs were planning taxpayer-funded trips between now and November, subject to the requirement of confidentiality to discuss internal party matters.
But a senior Liberal source, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal matters freely, said the policy had not gone to the shadow cabinet or party room and was unlikely to be supported.
In August 2025, less than four months before his early exit from the Victorian parliament, Groth also traveled to the US for a taxpayer-funded nine-night trip that cost taxpayers $11,153.
The then member, who agreed with Nepean’s statement, said the trip included “parliamentary business meetings with key stakeholders” linked to shadow portfolios of tourism, sporting events and hospitality.
In June 2025, former Liberal deputy leader David Hodgett also requested taxpayer-funded interstate and overseas travel, six weeks before he announced his retirement on August 6.
The trips to Japan and Singapore were to “research research and explore political business and economic issues and opportunities as constituency business” and cost the Victorians more than $7000, according to Hodgett’s disclosure record.
Following his retirement announcement, Hodgett continued to use his taxpayer-funded travel rights for what he described as “election and business meetings” for trips to Sydney ($1580) in October 2025 and Darwin ($2436) in March.
Liberal MP Bill Tilley has also continued to request taxpayer-funded trips since announcing his retirement at the November 2024 election. Last year, the Benambra member charged almost $10,000 to join Hodgett on a trip to Japan.
Tilley also billed taxpayers about $2660 last July for flights back to Queensland to “conduct research, attend meetings and conduct administrative activities in connection with boating and fishing”, as well as a $4300 two-day trip to Darwin.
In January, Upper House Liberal MP Wendy Lovell traveled to Barbados for a conference organized by the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, where she gave a presentation about accessibility improvements at Parliament House.
In his post-trip report, Lovell noted: “Many of the MPs present at the session approached me during the conference to tell me how much they had enjoyed my presentation. I also received feedback from one of the participants regarding disabled access to our building.”
“The MP who spoke to me noted that even the sign indicating disabled access is via side entry was placed at the top of the stairs rather than at street level, and I forwarded that feedback to the deputy clerk of the Legislative Council,” he wrote.
The 10-night trip cost taxpayers $11,410 and came three months before his departure from politics was announced. Victorian Parliament Clerk Bridget Noonan as well as Labor MP Dylan Wight also attended the conference.
Just weeks before Nationals MP Tim Bull announced his decision to leave East Gippsland membership, he traveled to France and Belgium, stating in his allowance statement that the trip was to visit all known graves of soldiers belonging to his electorate on the Western Front. The total demand for international air tickets was $1932.
Upper House MP Joe McCracken also claimed more than $900 to travel to Queensland to meet “Queensland MPs and government officials” in July last year. Six months later he announced that he would not contest his seat again.
In its current form, the allowance scheme reimburses MPs for travel they undertake as part of their parliamentary or election duties but does not include a separate rule for members who decide to retire.
Parliamentary statements show that six retiring Labor MPs – Jackson Taylor, Steve McGhie, Jordan Crugnale, Mary-Anne Thomas, Gayle Tierney and Natalie Hutchins – did not seek interstate or international parliamentary travel in the years leading up to their retirement.
Outgoing Nationals MP Peter Walsh, Greens MP Tim Read and former Liberal leader Michael O’Brien also made no claims of interstate or overseas parliamentary travel before or after announcing they would quit politics at the next election.
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