Disgraced former MP Bernard Finnigan pocketed $14,000 in taxpayer-funded travel expenses after his child pornography trial
Former MP Bernard Finnigan, who was convicted in 2015 of accessing child pornography, started claiming thousands of dollars in taxpayer-funded travel perks while awaiting verdict in his trial.
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Disgraced former MP Bernard Finnigan pocketed more than $14,000 in taxpayer-funded travel perks after he moved to Mount Gambier while awaiting the outcome of his child pornography trial.
Documents released by State Parliament reveal Finnigan started claiming the-then $220-a-night country members allowance in July 2015 after relocating from Adelaide to Mount Gambier following his District Court trial in April that year.
He received a total of $14,080 before he was convicted in November 2015 of one count of obtaining access to child pornography.
Former Labor minister Finnigan, who was 42 at the time, was sentenced the following month to 15 months’ jail but his prison term was suspended on the condition he entered a good behaviour bond.
The parliament documents show that of the 64 days he accessed the country members allowance, 51 were non-sitting days.
The state parliament travel expenses scandal has this week claimed the scalps of former ministers Tim Whetstone and Stephan Knoll, who resigned from Cabinet after repaying money they had claimed. Upper House President Terry Stephens has also quit his position.
Finnigan claimed 15 days, and received $3300, in August when parliament did not sit at all due to the winter break.
He received $3960 in both September and October after claiming 18 days in each of those months.
Parliament records show he attended five sitting days in September and six in October.
He appeared at two sitting days in July, during which he claimed $2860 for 13 days through the travel allowance scheme.
In 2015, country-based politicians were eligible to receive $220 per night to stay in Adelaide if they lived more than 75km by road from the GPO, and had to stay in the city to undertake parliamentary duties and other tasks associated with their role as an MP.
When claiming the allowance, they signed a form that states they “incurred expense” during their stay.
The allowance has since risen to $234 a night and is capped at $31,590 a year.
An Opposition spokesman reiterated that Finnigan was “expelled from the Labor Party in 2011”.
“The party consistently called for his resignation from parliament,” he said.
Treasurer Rob Lucas said the matter raised a “significant question as to whether (Opposition Leader Peter) Malinauskas knew about this”. However, Mr Malinauskas was not a parliamentarian at the time.
He became a Member of the Legislative Council in December 2015 to replace Finnigan.
“I think most South Australians would think it’s totally unreasonable that former Labor MP Bernard Finnigan made those claims given his situation at the time,” Mr Lucas said.
“All country Liberal MPs have conducted an audit of their claims, has Mr Malinauskas told his MPs to do the same?”
Finnigan was arrested by police at his Sefton Park home on April 20, 2011.
A day after his arrest, the then 38-year-old resigned as Industrial Relations, Local Government and Gambling Minister. He was also acting Police Minister at the time.
Finnigan remained in parliament as an independent member from the day he resigned from Cabinet until his conviction.
The Advertiser has unsuccessfully attempted to contact Finnigan for comment.