Politicians claim $100 million entitlements per year

Tony Abbott is resisting Opposition demands for an independent review of the travel entitlements scheme for politicians.

The Prime Minister was questioned for claiming travel for a triathlon event, again stealing the spotlight from his role at the APEC summit in Bali.

Tony Abbott was late for his first very important APEC date. "We are waiting for Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Prime Minister Tony Abbott," Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said.

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Prime Minister Abbott's meeting with Canada's leader ran overtime, but it was his expenses attracting most attention.

He defended $3,500 claimed for last year's Pollie Pedal bike ride, and Labor agrees that is legitimate, along with $1290 for competing in the Port Macquarie Ironman.

"The sporting event in question was a community event," Mr Abbott said.

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But Labor disagrees. "That is in my view pretty clearly a personal issue, a personal expense," interim Labor leader Chris Bowen said.

Mr Abbott has repaid $9000 for a book tour, and $1700 for attending the weddings of Sophie Mirabella and former Speaker Peter Slipper. Phillip Ruddock was also at Mr Slipper's wedding, but said he will not repay his expenses.

"I thought that it was appropriate," Mr Ruddock said.

Former senior finance department bureaucrat Steven Bartos says MPs should apply a simple test.

"If they'd be embarrassed to see it on the front page of a newspaper, they just shouldn't claim it," Bartos said.

Peter Slipper is claiming double standards. He has been charged over $960 in disputed claims, much less than what Mr Abbott has been allowed to repay.

He says either the charges against him should be dropped or Tony Abbott and the others charged, just like him.

And West Australian Liberal Steve Irons has repaid $11,000 in travel expenses.

"What's clear here is that we have a pattern of poor judgment," Chris Bowen said.

But that appears to be on both sides of politics.

After attacking Mr Abbott's expenses today, it emerged Labor's Mark Dreyfus had wrongly claimed $400 for a family snow trip. He repaid it this afternoon.

It could be very serious for Mr Abbott because it was this sort of issue that saw John Howard lose three ministers in his first few months as prime minister.

What is clear is that the system needs overhauling. MPs spend $100 million on entitlements each year.