Premier Daniel Andrews defends the cost of Treasurer Tim Pallas’ big overseas junket

Treasurer Tim Pallas insists he doesn’t know how many people will accompany him on his multi-continent junket, but says the taxpayer-funded trip is justified.

Victorian treasurer Tim Pallas is heading overseas. Picture: David Crosling

Another senior Andrews government minister will be joining Treasurer Tim Pallas on an overseas junket this weekend.

The Herald Sun has confirmed that Jaala Pulford will be leaving Melbourne on Saturday to travel to Europe and Singapore for a week-long trip.

Ms Pulford will be travelling in her capacity as the minister responsible for the innovation, medical research and digital economy portfolios.

She will be attending events in Germany alongside Mr Pallas.

It comes after Mr Pallas on Friday insisted he doesn’t know how many people would accompany him on the multi-continent junket – but was adamandt the taxpayer-funded trip was justified.

As first reported by the Herald Sun, Mr Pallas will travel to Germany, France, the United Kingdom and the United States in a bid to spruik the state as a nation leader and a place to do business.

“This will be my first overseas trip in three years,” Mr Pallas said on Friday, just hours before he departed Melbourne.

“As the person responsible for managing what is close to half a trillion dollar economy and also a budget that’s rapidly approaching over $100 billion, I think it’s important that I meet with the financial markets, particularly the rating agencies.”

He will meet with leading tech and energy firms in Germany and attend the Ambassador’s dinner in Frankfurt, before heading to Paris and London – enjoying a European summer – to rub shoulders with representatives from the local energy and infrastructure sector.

A briefing with the Australian France Business Association in Paris and a keynote speech in London with the Australia United Kingdom Chamber of Commerce are among the highlights of his trip, Mr Pallas said.

Daniel Andrews has defended Tim Pallas’ overseas expedition. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

He will also meet key rating agencies in New York City to provide an update on the state’s economy before attending the Australian American Leadership Dialogue and meeting the Victorian Fund Management Corporation’s key international investment decision-makers.

“It’ll be six cities, 12 days on the ground,” Mr Pallas added.

“I’ll be working hard for Victoria to get jobs and investment to the state.”

Mr Pallas claimed he didn’t know how many taxpayer-funded staffers would be heading on the overseas jaunt.

“I haven’t done a count but I’ll be taking my chief of staff,” he said, adding that he also didn’t know how much his department had budgeted for the trip.

“We provide a complete accounting of the costs of the trip, including who went with me – I think within two months of the completion of the trip. All of that, including dollar sums, will be publicly available.”

It’s expected taxpayers will fork out at least tens of thousands of dollars to pay for the travels.

In 2019, the Treasurer took a 15-day trip to London, Madrid, Beijing and Nanjing which cost almost $60,000.

Asked if he was flying business class, Mr Pallas responded: “I think so, I’m not flying right up the front but I’m not in the luggage section either.”

Daniel Andrews this week defended the decision to send him overseas, saying he won’t “apologise for that”.

“He (Pallas) is a very good spruiker. He’ll be out there making sure that all the people he meets will be in no doubt that if you want to invest in Australia, you’ve got to invest in Victoria,” the Premier said.

Opposition treasury spokesman David Davis likened the trip to a “desperate mission” to rebuild Victoria’s reputation.

“All of the information I hear is that the state’s reputation has been significantly damaged overseas,” he said.

“This, in many ways, is a desperate mission. A mission where he has to engage with some of the financiers around the world as they look at Victoria’s terrible financial position.

“I say this is a financial position of his making, and the Premier’s making. That is going to have to be explained by Tim Pallas.”

The trip was only confirmed through a media release late on Wednesday evening, just hours after the Herald Sun put in questions to the government about the bougie expedition.

Tim Pallas setting off on multi-continent trip

Victorian Treasurer Tim Pallas will this week jet off on a multi-continent jaunt that is set to cost taxpayers tens of thousands of dollars.

Mr Pallas is planning to visit Germany, France, the United Kingdom and the United States in a bid to spruik Victoria’s “robust industry and renewable energy infrastructure investment opportunities”.

But the state Opposition have slammed Mr Pallas’ decision to travel, instead demanding that he apologise to Victorians for “driving this state’s economy into the ground”.

Mr Pallas, who leaves Melbourne on Friday, will meet with leading tech and energy firms in Germany and attend the Ambassador’s dinner in Frankfurt.

Tim Pallas is travelling to Germany, France, the United Kingdom and the United States. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

He will then head to Paris and London – enjoying a European summer – to rub shoulders with representatives from the local energy and infrastructure sector.

According to Mr Pallas, a briefing with the Australian France Business Association in Paris and a keynote speech in London with the Australia United Kingdom Chamber of Commerce will be the highlights of his trip.

The Treasurer will also meet with key rating agencies in New York City to provide an update on the state of Victoria’s economy before attending the Australian American Leadership Dialogue and meeting the Victorian Fund Management Corporation’s key international investment decision-makers.

The government is refusing to say how much the two-week junket will cost taxpayers because it doesn’t yet have the final costings.

The trip was only confirmed through a media release late on Wednesday evening, just hours after the Herald Sun put in questions to the Treasurer’s office about the bougie expedition.

“Over two weeks, we will highlight Victoria’s resilient economy and ongoing viability as a solid investment opportunity across a wide range of infrastructure projects to leading players,” Mr Pallas said.

“The message will be clear – Victoria is a fantastic place to invest and a state where big things are happening, thanks to the Andrews Labor government that is getting on with driving our remarkable economic recovery, supporting thousands of jobs.”

An opposition spokesman slammed Mr Pallas’ decision to be heading overseas.

“Instead of taking a taxpayer funded European junket the Treasurer should be apologising to the people of Victoria for driving this states economy into ground – creating the nation’s biggest debt burden through his waste and mismanagement which is driving up the cost of living and will be leaving our children with a terrible burden,” he said.

The taxpayer-funded trip comes just five months from the November state election in which the Treasurer’s seat could be vulnerable.

Labor pollsters have told the party that the ALP is on the nose in Melton and the Treasurer’s seat of Werribee.

The party’s vote went backwards there in 2018 when the trend was with Labor, while at two subsequent federal elections the party lost ground in booths within those state seats.

Sources within Treasury have jokingly referred to the trip as his “farewell tour”.

Originally published as Premier Daniel Andrews defends the cost of Treasurer Tim Pallas’ big overseas junket