Labor senator Nita Green and former LNP MP Warren Entsch defend use of public resources

Questions over the use of taxpayer-funded resources during the federal campaign have been raised with an outgoing MP and Queensland senator in a hotly contested Far North seat.

Questions over the use of resources during the federal campaign have been raised with an outgoing MP and Queensland senatoras a hotly contested battle for a Far North seat draws to a close.

Questions over the use of resources during the federal campaign have been raised with an outgoing MP and Queensland senator as a hotly contested battle for a Far North seat draws to a close.

Staffers and resources linked to retiring Leichhardt MP Warren Entsch’s office and Cairns-based senator Nita Green’s office have come under question following the resources used in the campaigns of the LNP’s Jeremy Neal and Labor’s Matt Smith.

It included the use of staff linked to taxpayer funded offices to assist the candidates at media conferences, and the use of public office resources including email mailing systems to capture and distribute content and communications.

But both Mr Entsch and Ms Green, via a Labor spokesman, said campaign duties undertaken by their staff fell within the guidelines set out by the Department of Finance, and that in some cases, the relevant staff were on leave and volunteering.

The Department of Finance states parliamentarians must use their publicly provided office resources and direct staff for the “dominant purpose of parliamentary business” with additional rules in place for election time. Picture: Newswire/Gary Ramage

The department’s guidelines state parliamentarians must use their publicly provided office resources and direct staff for the “dominant purpose of parliamentary business” with additional rules in place for election time.

“Parliamentarians and officeholders are only able to direct employees to undertake activities related to their own duties and activities, noting this can include party political duties … where the parliamentarian is participating,” the department’s guidelines read.

Ms Green’s office on at least five occasions issued media communications involving Mr Smith’s candidacy from their Australian Parliament House domain email.

Labor candidate for Leichhardt Matt Smith supported Senator Jenny McAllister's call to Opposition Leader Peter Dutton, to stop his planned cuts to the National Emergency Management Agency at a press conference in Cairns on April 11. Photo: Supplied.

On at least two occasions, including a March 21 interview between Mr Smith and this publication about his candidacy, and an April 7 press conference, some of Ms Green’s staff assisted at those events by filming and capturing content.

While the Labor spokesman did not confirm whether the staff had taken leave, he said all activities and resources had “complied with the relevant rules and frameworks, outlined by the Department of Finance.”

“This can include taking appropriate leave from work to campaign, or being directed by the senator or member to carry out a task.”

Mr Neal, who was formerly employed by Mr Entsch, has also received assistance from the outgoing MP’s office, but the veteran parliamentarian claimed he was “unemployed” and had “no staff.”

Cairns deputy mayor Brett Olds, LNP Leichhardt candidate Jeremy Neal, LNP deputy leader Susan Ley and Queensland LNP senator James McGrath. The press conference was filmed by a staffer linked to outgoing MP Warren Entsch’s office.

A staffer linked to Mr Entsch’s office also on at least three occasions filmed Mr Neal’s press conferences.

Mr Entsch confirmed the participation complied with the guidelines, given they were volunteering and was on leave at the time.

“As for my staff, well I’m unemployed, I don't have staff anymore but they’re helping Jeremy on a volunteer basis.”

Originally published as Labor senator Nita Green and former LNP MP Warren Entsch defend use of public resources