VIP flights: Taxpayers pick up $2.8m bill for politicians’ trips
Empty chartered jets crisscrossing the skies to pick up VIP passengers contributed to a $2.8 million taxpayer-funded flight bill last year, with one pollie’s trip to a party conference costing almost $40,000. SEE THE LIST: MOST EXPENSIVE VIP FLIGHTS
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A chartered jet which flew Nationals leader Michael McCormack and other VIPs to Sydney after attending a party conference in a Western Australian resort town near Ningaloo Marine Park cost taxpayers almost $40,000 last year.
Mr Cormack, who was acting Prime Minister at the time, had been in Exmouth to attend the three-day conference on October 11 when he ordered the RAAF plane from its Canberra base to take himself, his wife Catherine, former Nationals Minister Larry Anthony, who is the party president, Senator Matt Canavan and staff back to Sydney the following day.
Department of Defence special purpose flight documents detailing the trip reveal the cost of the pilot flying the empty Falcon 7X jet from Canberra to the Learmonth RAAF base near Exmouth cost taxpayers a staggering $21,095 — more than the passenger flight to Sydney.
The empty plane trip was the most expensive “ghost flight” to occur in the six months to December, contributing to a $2.8 million taxpayer-funded bill for chartered jets to ferry politicians, staff and official guests to and from Canberra, across Australia and overseas.
It is understood Mr Anthony was later invoiced for his seat on the flight.
The following month, Mr McCormack, again as acting Prime Minister, also chartered a plane to Melbourne where he watched the Cup race after performing other official duties.
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Documents show the F7X flew from Canberra on November 3 to Mr McCormack’s hometown of Wagga Wagga, at a cost of $1722, where it collected his wife and three other VIPs, including staff, before flying on to Melbourne at a cost of $2583.
The plane returned empty to Canberra the same day, costing $3444, with Mr McCormack later taking a commercial flight.
A spokesman for Mr McCormack said it was a longstanding protocol for the Prime Minister, including acting Prime Minister, to use special purpose aircraft instead of commercial flights for security reasons.
“The deputy Prime Minister always travels in accordance with the guidelines set by the Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority,” he said.
While Mr McCormack’s ghost flight was the most expensive, it was not the only one, with taxpayers charged more than $341,857 for 76 empty plane trips where pilots flew without passengers to collect their official guests or returned to base after dropping them off.