Opposition slams ‘out of touch’ MPs for soaring hotel bills

The state government has once again come under fire for spending big on ritzy hotels, as new details about Deputy Premier Susan Close’s whirlwind European trip emerge.

The state government has come under fire once again for spending big on ritzy overseas hotels, as new details about Deputy Premier Susan Close’s whirlwind European trip emerge.

According to publicly released credit card expenses, a top public servant who joined Dr Close on the trip spent at least $6400 on accommodation in Glasgow, London, Paris and Oslo in September last year.

This included a $2137 bill for Hotel Le Tourville near the Eiffel Tower in Paris and $1772 for a stay at the five-star Hotel Continental in Oslo, Norway.

Also among the expenses was a $1063 stay at the Grand Central Hotel in Glasgow, where historical figures such as Winston Churchill and Frank Sinatra have stayed, and $1429 for the five-star Trafalgar St. James hotel in London.

All hotel bills were for multi-night stays.

Dr Close stayed at the same hotels as the public servant – Department for Industry, Innovation and Science chief executive Adam Reid – but on different nights.

A spokesman for the Deputy Premier said: “The minister has proactively declared all of her travel costs for the defence-related trip to Europe in 2022.

“Overseas travel arrangements are made on the protocol advice which factors in things such as cost, security and proximity from meetings and events.”

Mr Reid’s department has been contacted for comment.

Hotel Continental, Oslo

Deputy Premier Susan Close.

While it is unclear how much Dr Close spent on European accommodation, The Advertiser previously revealed her entire Europe trip cost taxpayers $44,729, while a separate trip to Egypt for the COP27 climate summit cost nearly $28,000. She was accompanied by a staffer on both occasions.

Premier Peter Malinauskas’s trip to Japan and South Korea last October cost taxpayers at least $157,654, which included accommodation for five-star hotels.

Michelle Lensink, the opposition’s spokeswoman for government accountability, said the expenses showed Labor’s “extravagance and opulence during a cost-of-living crisis when so many South Australians are doing it tough”.

“Domestic and international trips are needed to help promote South Australia, but it is out of touch for Peter Malinauskas and Labor to keep picking five-star hotels where more reasonable accommodation is easily available,” Ms Lensink said.

Tourism Minister Zoe Bettison spent $17,364 on a trip to the Philippines and Singapore to boost foreign trade and investment. This included a three-night stay at the five-star Conrad Manila hotel, worth $1720 for Ms Bettison and a staffer.

During her European trip, Dr Close met with leaders in government, business and various industries such as space, defence, renewable energy and defence.

She attended 28 meetings, signed two research exchange agreements and attended an international space conference with various SA companies to showcase their innovation.

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