'It's totally wrong': Benched minister spent $13,000 on charter plane hire
Nearly $3000 claimed to watch a polo match, privately chartered planes at a cost of $13,000 and a number of MPs billing taxpayers for attending their boss' private New Year's Eve party on Sydney Harbour.
These are just some of the expense claims federal politicians have made in the past few years - all of them only revealed since Monday.
It's been revealed Foreign Minister Julie Bishop claimed $2716 to attend a polo match on Victoria's Mornington Peninsula in January 2015.
Ms Bishop was a guest of beer company Peroni and car maker Jeep, her office defending the event which she she attended in her "official capacity as Minister for Foreign Affairs and Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party".
Sussan Ley reportedly billed taxpayers for $13,000 to hire private planes in order to maintain her pilot's licence. Source: Fairfax
The foreign minister's claim follows more revelations regarding embattled Health Minister Sussan Ley, with Fairfax revealing she spent $13,000 to pilot private planes along busy capital city routes.
Fairfax reports Ms Ley, who is a licensed commercial pilot, charged $6300 to fly from Canberra to Melbourne in July 2014 and another $7000 to travel from Canberra to Adelaide in May 2015, well in excess of the cost of commercial passenger flights.
Ms Ley's social media accounts indicate she was in the cockpit, Fairfax says.
According to the Civil Aviation Safety Authority guidelines, commercial pilots must fly three flights every 90 days to maintain their licences.
Public outrage at the perceived larges has led to renewed calls for an independent watchdog to oversee politicians' entitlements, with major political parties accused of failing to reform the system following the scandal that started with Ms Ley before quickly spreading to include many of her parliamentary colleagues.
Minor parties and independents warn the latest scandal is damaging to Australia's democracy and another example of why Australians are sick of politicians.
Foreign minister billed taxpayers more than $2716 to attend a polo match. Source: AAP
Greens leader Richard Di Natale wants a spotlight shone on entitlements. Source: AAP
One Nation leader Pauline Hanson said politicians needed to stop taking the mickey and pay their way.
“We have to be responsible for the monies we spend on our travel or our flights that are taken,” Ms Hanson told Sunrise.
"It's totally wrong."
But the Queensland senator did not agree with some other crossbenchers that another statutory body or bureaucracy needed to be established to oversee politicians' claims.
Greens leader Richard Di Natale and crossbencher Nick Xenophon have vowed to reintroduce legislation this year after Ms Ley stood aside as health minister pending an investigation into her taxpayer-funded trips to the Gold Coast.
The South Australian senator also wants to see real-time disclosure of claims and harsher penalties for those who exploit the rules.
But the federal government insists changes to the system will be made in the first half of 2017.
Nick Xenophon is backing a watchdog. Source: AAP
Acting Special Minister of State Kelly O'Dwyer said the 36 entitlements reform recommendations were being worked on. Source: AAP
Acting Special Minister of State Kelly O'Dwyer said the government was working to deliver on 36 recommendations made by an independent review 11 months ago after Bronwyn Bishop's expenses scandal.
Central to the changes is a clearer definition of parliamentary business, she said.
"We know it needs change," Ms O'Dwyer told AAP on Tuesday.
"It is a priority for our government to implement those changes.
Ministerial colleagues doubt Sussan Ley will be able to return following further expense-claim revelations. Source: AAP
"Australians work exceptionally hard for every dollar they earn and they quite appropriately and rightly expect that when they pay their taxes to the government that their money is spent wisely."
Fresh from Ms Ley's admission she bought an $800,000 apartment during a taxpayer-funded trip and charged taxpayers to attend New Year's Eve functions on the Gold Coast, it's been revealed four cabinet ministers billed taxpayers almost $7000 to attend a New Year's function hosted by Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull in 2015.
"This is why so many Australians hate so many politicians," Senator Xenophon told ABC radio.
He wants an independent watchdog to oversee the system, real-time disclosure of claims, and harsher penalties for those who exploit the rules.
He first drafted laws to overhaul the system two years ago but failed to secure support for the changes in parliament.
"I'd like to think that there'll be a keener interest on the part of my colleagues on both sides from the major parties to consider this seriously because clearly what they've done to date doesn't work."
Independent MP Andrew Wilkie insists there are systemic problems that allow parliamentarians willing to spend public money improperly to get away with it.
He said neither Labor nor the government supported his motion in parliament requiring MPs to list all activities undertaken on taxpayer-funded trips.
Rather than just paying back the money or stepping aside, he wants politicians who rort the system to face criminal charges.
"It is no secret in Canberra that some MPs will, from time to time, perhaps often, travel wherever they want in the country and they will dress it up as an official trip," Mr Wilkie told reporters.
Opposition frontbencher Linda Burney said Labor was open to discussion about a federal corruption watchdog but insisted the best course of action was for MPs to understand current rules and follow them.
