Labor MP Emma Husar took taxpayer-funded trip with Penrith Police chief to see Bruno Mars
BESIEGED MP Emma Husar is under investigation for possible misuse of public money following revelations she went to a Bruno Mars concert when on a taxpayer-funded trip to Queensland.
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BESIEGED MP Emma Husar is under investigation for possible misuse of public money following revelations she went to a concert when on a taxpayer-funded trip to Queensland.
It is understood the Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority was already reviewing Ms Husar’s claims when the Lindsay MP publicly stated she had self-referred her case.
The Daily Telegraph today published details of Ms Husar’s trip in March where she attended the Brisbane Bruno Mars concert with one of Penrith Police’s highest ranking police officers after attending a parliamentary committee hearing in Cairns early that day.
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2/2 The concert tickets were a birthday present from a friend. Confident I’ve always acted within the rules but have asked IPEA to double-check and review as I take the use of taxpayers’ money extremely seriously.
— Emma Husar MP (@emmahusarmp) August 1, 2018
“To be abundantly clear, no work expenses were used to attend a concert,” Ms Husar said on Twitter on Wednesday.
“The concert tickets were a birthday present from a friend,” Ms Husar said. “Confident I’ve always acted within the rules but have asked IPEA to double- check and review as I take the use of taxpayers’ money extremely seriously.”
The Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority monitors and investigates politicians’ use of their taxpayer-funded entitlements.
The MP took to Twitter after Deputy Opposition leader Tanya Plibersek called for any potential misuse of the public purse to be properly investigated.
Ms Plibersek told Sky News that she wouldn’t comment specifically because Ms Husar was already subject to an independent investigation into allegations of staff bullying.
“It is absolutely vital that every single dollar of taxpayer funding is used appropriately, there is no question of that,” Ms Plibersek said.
“We’ve got rules that should ensure that. People must follow those rules. Taxpayers need to have confidence that their investment in our democracy is well and wisely spent.
“If there are any issues like this to investigate they should be looked at properly. Every single dollar of taxpayer funding should be used appropriately.”
Ms Husar’s trip came several months after Penrith Police investigated a domestic dispute involving Ms Husar and her teenage daughter, who now lives with Ms Husar’s ex-husband.
The Daily Telegraph revealed taxpayers paid for Ms Husar’s flights to Brisbane in March this year, where she attended the Bruno Mars concert with Chief Inspector Tracy Stone.
On the day of the concert, March 14, Ms Husar had no meetings in Brisbane but claimed $114 for use of a government-chauffeured Comcar, which she says was probably from the airport to her hotel.
Her only two meetings in Brisbane were the following day, with a homeless service and a visit to a domestic violence call centre, DVConnect.
The tickets to see Bruno Mars were paid for by Ms Stone as a birthday present for Ms Husar. Ms Husar’s birthday is on April 20.
She did not respond to questions about whether the two meetings were organised before or after Ms Husar decided to go to the March 14 concert.
But the Lindsay MP has defended the use of taxpayer funds, saying the meetings were relevant to her parliamentary position.
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Her flight back from Brisbane to Sydney on March 15 cost taxpayers $492.
After the concert, Ms Husar and Ms Stone shared a hotel room together as friends, with the hotel bill paid for by the taxpayer.
Her spokesman said the cost of her accommodation in Brisbane, along with her flight from Cairns to Brisbane, was taxpayer-funded but had not yet been made publicly available.
He said the $114 Comcar ride was likely from Brisbane airport to her hotel.
NSW Police confirmed Chief Inspector Stone, the Duty Officer at the Nepean Police Area Command, accompanied Ms Husar to the concert.
“As part of her responsibilities, Chief Inspector Stone is required to engage with leaders throughout the Command as part of our wider and varied partnerships for crime prevention,” a spokesman said.
“Chief Inspector Stone and Ms Emma Husar MP have known each other as a result of attending the same school together.
“They attended a concert together in Queensland earlier this year.
“There have been no allegations of misconduct in relation to Chief Inspector Stone concerning her policing responsibilities and her friendship with Ms Husar.”
Ms Husar has taken personal leave amid allegations of bullying in her Western Sydney office and claims staff were asked to clean up her dog’s faeces and babysit her children.
The Daily Telegraph last week revealed police attended Ms Husar’s home last year during a domestic dispute with her eldest daughter.
A NSW police spokesman confirmed officers attended the incident and investigated it, saying no further action was required.
Ms Husar’s teenage daughter now lives with her father Peter Fenton, the MP’s former husband.
Ms Husar defended the use of taxpayer-funds to travel to Brisbane.
“Of course no work expenses were used to attend a concert. Any assertion otherwise is preposterous,” her spokesman said.
“These meetings were relevant to Emma’s role as Secretary of the Opposition Status of Women Caucus Committee and noting her involvement in domestic violence policy development.
“The concert tickets were a birthday gift from a friend.”
Now-deleted Facebook posts show Ms Husar and Ms Stone at the concert.
The Telegraph understands Ms Stone was asked by her superiors to “clean up” her Facebook page.
In another post on Ms Stone’s page, she tagged Ms Husar on March 13 with a link to an article about the upcoming Bruno Mars and Ed Sheeran concerts where she stated “hands up if you are going to both” to which Ms Husar responded “Hola”.
Before arriving in Brisbane, Ms Husar flew from Sydney to Cairns where she met with Ruth’s Women’s Shelter on March 13 and attended a parliamentary committee hearing on the NDIS which finished just after 3pm on March 14th.
There was another hearing scheduled in Townsville the following day, on March 15, which Ms Husar did not attend.