Kerryn Phelps defends racking up $1460 bill for a Commonwealth car to ferry her around Sydney
Former independent Wentworth MP Kerryn Phelps has defended racking up a massive bill for a Commonwealth car to ferry her around Sydney.
NSW
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Former independent MP Kerryn Phelps has been criticised for “failing the pub test” on politicians’ spending after racking up a whopping $1460 bill for a single day of travel around Sydney in a Commonwealth car.
Ms Phelps, who was unsuccessful in her bid for re-election in the eastern suburbs seat of Wentworth, spent $6,187.20 on COMCAR vehicles between February 26 and May 8, according to the latest reports released by the Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority (IPEA).
Of this, $180.60 was for three trips in Canberra, while the remainder were listed as travel in Sydney, including a $1460 bill on April 28 during the federal election campaign.
The COMCAR service, which costs $117.60 per hour plus toll fees, is to be used when a parliamentarian could not “reasonably use” their private plated vehicle (PPV) or the allowance received in lieu of the PPV, according to expenses guidelines.
Dr Phelps on Monday declined to explain her full itinerary for April 28, but The Daily Telegraph previously revealed the former MP used a COMCAR to travel from an event at Bondi Beach to a local newspaper photo shoot for candidates at Tamarama Beach that day.
Dr Phelps said during her seven months as an MP she used various forms of transport as “dictated by circumstances”.
“Following The Daily Telegraph’s story just a few days before the May 18 election, IPEA conducted a review of my ComCar use to ensure that any travel related work expenses were compliant with the rules,” she said.
“IPEA is an independent body set up to assess parliamentary entitlements at arm’s length. I support this process.”
Australian Taxpayer Alliance police director Satya Marar said COMCARs were a “very substantial expense” primarily intended to be used by politicians who have large electorates with limited taxi, uber or public transport options.
“Wentworth is not a geographically big electorate,” he said.
“Why was it necessary (for Dr Phelps) to spend so much money on a company car in just a small area in Sydney.”
Mr Marar said while the expense may be allowed under the rules, it did not pass the public “pub test”.
“It shows politicians will spend their entitlements in a manner that is out of step with public expectations,” he said.
“Plenty of small businesses collect their receipts and require employees to document how they’re spending company money, why should politicians’ offices not behave in the same manner.”
Mr Marar said a long-called for “transparency portal” requiring politicians to publish within 30 days a more precise itinerary would reduce overspending.
“Let sunlight be the disinfectant,” he said.