Every year we get politicions from all parties rorting their travel allowances. Each year we have the government of the day saying we'll tighten up this so it doesn't happen again. (Bullshit).
Politicians get up there and say we met the guidelines so the travel should be charged to the taxpayers. When the government says they're going to make sure this doesn't happen again by introducing new requirements for travel. Guess what a loophole is found and of they go again.
Any politician can organise a political event to mask what they are really doing which is getting the taxpayers to fund their private trips. There has to be consequences for politicians who do this.
No wonder we have such a low opinion of them.
Source: Kyron4030
19 Comments
Article is subscriber only.
Politicians should have to work under the same guidelines as APS.
Cheapest flight where possible, no “gifts” over $25 allowed, rate of pay increase at whatever median is for APS departments, etc.
Why is it public service workers seem to have stricter work expenses and accountability than the politicians who are meant to be ‘leaders’
Text from article:
Victorian senator Bridget McKenzie claimed taxpayer-funded flights to Tasmania on the weekend of her son’s engagement party, 10 months before she billed taxpayers to travel to his Tamar Valley wedding, according to expenditure records.
The fresh revelations come after senior Coalition MP Tim Wilson questioned the optics of McKenzie using public money to partially fund her four-day trip to Tasmania for the family wedding in 2023.
Published by the Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority, the expenditure records show McKenzie also invoiced taxpayers for flights in the days around her son’s engagement party in 2022 when she was a senior cabinet minister within the Morrison government.
On Friday, April 29, 2022, McKenzie’s domestic flight schedule lists a trip – with no price listed – from Melbourne to Devonport, where her son lives.
Later that evening, the Nationals senator appeared at the launch of Liberal MP Gavin Pearce’s federal election campaign in nearby Latrobe, posting to social media: “We need people like Gav back in our Parliament. He delivers for his regional communities and understands the issues they face.”
Anika Wells taking a break from travelling??
McKenzie has always had her snout in the trough. She previously used parliamentary travel entitlements for personal benefit about 10 years ago. But what do you expect from the Sports Rorter.
Every time these pricks get caught they should be made to pick up rubbish on the freeway otherwise they will just keep doing it .
Isn’t this the one that was ripping Into Albo all over the media last year about Qantus perks that proved to be unfounded?
If so, she needs to go today.
She’s making a sport out of welfare fraud..
It is annoying as hell. This rule is not hard to understand, nor is it difficult to follow. You expect us to trust you to run our country but you can’t be bothered following simple rules surrounding your employment. Its time to go…. Bridgette
Not a fan of her but this isn’t really a big deal? Poor optics yes, but a real problem?
If she tended to official business while on the trip, then this is fair game.
The question of whether or not the choice of official business was the best use of her time is a more legit angle but then you’ll need to scrutinise all of her activities (and those of other pollies).
Typical right wingers. Always have snouts in the taxpayer trough. They can’t help themselves.
She was the minister behind the Sports Rorts scandal, right?
Instant dismissal. Loss of over generous retirement benefits. And criminal charges like everyone else would be subject to.
I’m so sick of hearing about these under performing parasite politicians.
BRING ON ANOTHER EUREKA.!!!
They are few and we are MANY.!!
😂
Surely there is not a single person in this country who is surprised by this?
So no change to normal behaviour for her then?
Why don’t we just make the rule they can travel on any economy flight in Australia?
And get $100 towards accommodation anytime they are away from home for any reason, personal or business.
Have a $4,000 (indexed) withholding from their salary, which they lose in return for these new benefits.
Then they won’t be rorting.
This is fraud. She should be let go of the party.
Very typical of a LNP person. The entitlement is baked into the core.