Randall to repay airfare money
Embattled WA Liberal MP Don Randall will repay more than $5000 of taxpayer money he used to fly him and a family member to Cairns where he had bought an investment property.
But Mr Randall is facing calls to explain himself properly, with one Labor MP suggesting he should face a police investigation.
Mr Randall said last night he had contacted the Department of Finance, seeking urgent advice "due to the ongoing media scrutiny and public interest".
"The Department informed me that it cannot provide definitive advice," he said. "Therefore, I will immediately issue a payment to the department to reimburse the entire costs incurred for that visit to ensure the right thing is done by the taxpayer and alleviate any ambiguity."
The WA Liberal had gone into hiding amid revelations he billed the Commonwealth last year to fly to Cairns where he had taken possession of a four-bedroom investment property.
The West Australian can also reveal Mr Randall had charged taxpayers earlier for a two-night stay in the north Queensland city in 2007, just three days after he bought the land.
Parliamentary records show Mr Randall claimed $414 in living-away-from-home allowance in Cairns on July 2 and 3, 2007, saying he was there as part of work on a migration committee.
Land title records show Mr Randall bought the land in Cairns on June 29 that year for $148,000.
Mr Randall insisted last night the 2007 visit had been within entitlement rules.
Victorian Labor MP Rob Mitchell said Mr Randall should face questions from the Australian Federal Police.
"He should be able to show just cause about why he made these claims," Mr Mitchell said. Mr Mitchell has written to the AFP to demand it investigate questionable travel claims by Tony Abbott and Attorney-General George Brandis.
After the election, the Prime Minister put colleagues on notice that they could expect greater scrutiny in office.
_The West Australian _ understands Mr Abbott told coalition MPs at the September 13 meeting he did not want them employing family members in their parliamentary offices.
The latest coalition directory shows Mr Randall employs his daughter Tess as an "executive assistant".
Fellow WA Liberal, Senator Chris Back, employs his wife Linda as his electorate officer and media assistant. The couple are in New York as part of a three-month taxpayer-funded delegation to the UN.
WA Labor Senator Glenn Sterle employs his wife Fiona as his diary assistant.
