Taxpayers foot $600k bill for empty VIP jets
It has been revealed taxpayers spent more than $600,000 in a six-month period so federal politicians could take private planes instead of commercial flights.
RAAF jets chartered to transport federal politicians travelled more than 100 times in the second half of 2015 without passengers, according to the Herald Sun.
The publication claims this happened on 107 occasions from July to December which cost $610,571.
It reported that the bulk of the bill was accumulated by the RAAF nine-seater Challenger Jet, which is funded publicly, between Perth and Canberra, when MPs and Perth-based ministers chose to travel.
For an empty plane to travel to the Western Australian capital it can cost up to $18,000.
According to the Herald Sun, the jet service funded by taxpayers is generally only utilised if it is not viable to travel via a commercial airline seat.
Five special purpose aircraft are operated by the RAAF from Canberra's Fairbairn air base.
News break – December 29
