MP costs finally released for first parliamentary quarter of Labor government

Anthony Albanese travelled overseas more than any other MP in the first months of his prime ministership and also racked up the most in expenses charged to the taxpayer.

Opposition leader Peter Dutton put in a decent spending effort as well, but not on international travel.

In fact, federal politicians collectively spent more than $30 million on expenses in the first full quarter of the new Labor government last year.

Technical problems from a thwarted departmental attempt to upgrade the reporting system delayed the publishing of expense information from the first quarter of the new parliament.

But with enough of those issues now resolved to be able to release the data, the Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority has published its figures.

They reveal federal politicians spent $30.7 million in three months to September 2022 as new ministers travelled the globe to meet their international counterparts, and MPs and staff from all parties travelled extensively within Australia.

The Prime Minister totalled $82,729 in international flight expenses, with a further $500,000 spent on 61 of his employees for mostly domestic travel costs.

The PM’s international travel costs included a trip to Paris to meet French President Emmanuel Macron and a drop in to Ukraine to meet with President Volodymyr Zelensky.

It also included attendance at the Pacific Islands Forum in Fiji, the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II in London and the funeral of former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe in Tokyo.

Mr Albanese’s total overall expenses for the quarter came to $684,665.

Mr Dutton spent $363,003 in the three months, which included $195,876 on employee travel. His own international travel costs didn’t rate.

But Leader of the House and Industrial Relations Minister Tony Burke landed in between the two party leaders with overall expenses totalling $398,410.

Mr Burke’s international travel costs only amounted to $23,420 though, which is still significantly higher than most MPs spent.

Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles spent more though, with $30,477 going on international travel.

Nationals backbencher Darren Chester spent $26,458 on international travel. That was his attendance representing the Australian Government at United Nations General Assembly meetings.

Assistant Trade Minister Tim Ayers spent $25,780 on international travel, which was more than the actual Trade Minister Don Farrell did at $19,278.

Foreign Minister Penny Wong totalled $19,170 in international travel in the three months.

But international travel only amounted to one per cent of the $30.7 million in parliamentary spending between July and September last year.

Office facilities, including their leases, furniture and security, accounted for the largest single expense at $11.3 million.

And office administration, including printing and stationery, came in at $7.1 million.

The figures even show that former Liberal prime ministers Tony Abbott and John Howard collectively spent more than $100,000 on office facilities.

Independent MP Bob Katter spent more than $40,000 on ‘scheduled and unscheduled’ travel.

“The Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority (IPEA) is pleased to announce that reporting of parliamentarians’ work expenses and the travel expenses of their staff has recommenced,” IPEA stated in releasing the data and explaining the delay in publishing.

“This follows completion of the reporting module in the Department of Finance’s Parliamentary Expenses Management System (PEMS).”