From Taylor Swift to Pink and Paul McCartney: QLD MPs’ VIP gifts registered and the latest expenses published
The latest expense claims for Queensland federal politicians have been published. We take a deep dive into their travel for parliamentary duty and also look at some of the luxury and unusual gifts they have registered. CHECK OUR TABLE
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There’s no doubt Queensland’s federal politicians are a hard working bunch, travelling to and from Canberra many times each year to ensure constituents in 30 lower house seats are adequately represented.
But along with the long hours, the time away from family and home and the intense public scrutiny come a number of perks including being invited to some of the best gigs in the country.
Since 2022, the state’s 30 MPs and 12 senators have declared some unusual and rare gifts including tickets to the sold-out Paul McCartney concert, Pink, and Taylor Swift, along with corporate box seats at NRL and AFL grand finals and boozy Melbourne Cup lunches.
Additional gifts declared claimed include a deluxe birthing suite experience, a bottle of wine, a rose gold bracelet, free Foxtel subscriptions, a Taiwanese tea set and even a scholarship for political leadership.
The Register of Members’ Interests became a focal point this month after the publication of MPs’ expenses (a seperate list of items for which MPs can claim costs, rather than declare gifts) for the last three months of 2022.
The 2022 October quarter Expenses data was finally released on March 7 after a technical glitch with the Department of Finance’s Parliamentary Expenses Management System delayed publishing the details.
The published data documents the payments and repayments made in the expenditure reporting period in which they were paid or repaid, not when they were incurred.
The latest expenditure reports show Queensland’s 42 federal politicians including senators, racked up a whopping $6,774,076 in expenses for travel, cars, transport, office facilities and administration, family and staff travel and phones for the period from July to December 2022.
The Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority website lists the latest data for the October 2022 quarter, along with some expenses claims from the previous quarter.
Top of the expenses list in Queensland was Opposition leader, and former Defence Minister, Peter Dutton who spent a total of $516,136.49 over the period including a massive $331,491 for employee travel which covers costs for staff cars, taxis, hire cars, road tolls, meals while abroad and passport expenses.
Mr Dutton lodged the country’s second highest expenses bill for the period published by the IPEA, behind Prime Minister Anthony Albanese who had a total bill of $699,168.
Behind him were Nationals leader David Littleproud; Sports Minister Anika Wells; Treasurer Jim Chalmers, Fairfax MP Ted O’Brien; Speaker Milton Dick, Forde MP Bert van Manen; Agriculture Minister Senator Murray Watt; Senator Susan McDonald and Bob Katter.
Of the Queensland federal politicians, Dawson MP Andrew Willcox posted the largest travel allowance expenses claim of $21,124 which included 113 nights away from home and seven trips to Canberra during the period documented by the IPEA.
The biggest Queensland spender on international travel for the period on the IPEA website, was Oxley MP Milton Dick who claimed $23,353 for overseas travel. Only six other federal MPs, including the Foreign Minister and the Prime Minister spent more on international travel during that period.
Mr Dick, who is the House Speaker, spent $9617 on meals during the 13-day Parliamentary Forum and the Eighth G20 Parliamentary Speakers Summit in Jakarta and then in Rwanda with claims for official fares coming in at $12,913.
Senator Susan McDonald claimed $23,721 for 39 scheduled travel items during the three-month period, outstripping Liberal Leader Peter Dutton with her trips to Canberra, Brisbane, Melbourne, Mackay and Townsville.
Nationals leader David Littleproud chalked up $71,436 in unscheduled commercial transport claims, the highest of all the Queensland federal politicians.
He spent $13,200 on a chartered flight from Traralgon to Bendigo on November 3, two days after he declared two tickets from Tabcorp to go to the Melbourne Cup on November 1, along with complimentary transport and accommodation from beverage giant Lion.
Kennedy MP Bob Katter was the Queensland MP to post the highest car costs of $33,477 over the 2022 quarter.
Mr Katter’s car cost claims for the period were for lease, insurance, maintenance, fuel, use of the parliamentary COMCAR service, and carparking.
One of his claims was for $1503.70 for use of the parliamentary chauffeur-driven COMCAR service noted for Brisbane on November 4, 2022 along with another entry of $426.37 for the same day.
The advertised COMCAR rate is $2.10 per minute with a minimum weekday charge of $63 for 30 minutes.
In his statement of claims on his register of interests under the heading of “sponsored travel or hospitality received” Mr Katter wrote “I can’t recall any use, but there might have been some”.
The highest office expenses claim from Queensland for the period, according to the data published on the Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority website, was $88,472 from Peter Dutton’s office.
The claim includes bills for office furniture, equipment, office security, leases, power, cleaning and supplies, parking, PO boxes, repairs, maintenance, fee for the fixed-line telephone systems and expenses for privately-leased satellite electorate offices.
Forde MP Bert van Manen racked up the second highest office administration bill of all federal MPs in the country for the quarter according to the IPEA site, lodging claims for $115,087 with fellow Queenslander Ted O’Brien coming in third with claims for $111,821 for his office administration.
As part of that expenditure, Mr van Manen spent $109,519 on printing and communications with his biggest outlay of $30,112 on September 20, 2022.
He also claimed flights costing $1300.62 and $976.59 to and from Brisbane to Melbourne on October 31, 2022, the day before the Melbourne Cup.
Mr van Manen’s register of interest for the October 2022 quarter shows he declared a ticket to the annual Australian Hotels Association Melbourne Cup lunch in Victoria and two tickets to the Gold Coast 500 on October 28 that year.
Along with lodging expenses claims, Queensland’s MPs and senators also have to register gifts and hospitality they have received.
Some of the gifts registered may not have been used by the politician.
Almost all of the Queensland MPs and Senators get gifted free Qantas Chairman’s Lounge membership along with Virgin Australia VIP memberships along with Foxtel or Sky News.
Only Ryan MP Elizabeth Watson Brown, who is an adjunct professor at the University of Queensland, has cancelled her free Qantas Chairman’s Lounge membership and she also cancelled the Virgin Beyond membership.
Here are some of the more unusual items registered since 2022 that have been lodged on the parliamentary Register of Members’ Interests, for gifts they have declared and also expenses they’re entitled to claim.
PETER DUTTON: LIBERAL LEADER
His own travel expenses for the three months included $15,664 in travel allowances for each night he stayed away from home and a further $23,590 for domestic scheduled commercial flights, and trips.
Over the three months, Mr Dutton also spent $88,472 on office facilities, $54,425 on office administration and $2016 on car costs including fuel, maintenance and insurance. His register of interests for that period, in which he rose as Liberal Party leader, show he was a special guest at both NRL and AFL grand finals in 2022 and to last year’s NRL grand final in Sydney. He also clocked up trips to the Pilbara, New York, and to Sydney for the Third Test match and had tickets to the second State of Origin match on June 26, 2022. Since then, Mr Dutton has declared tickets to Australia v England Fifth Ashes in London, tickets to the Matildas’ historic FIFA match in Sydney, the Rugby 7s in Sydney, the Australian Open, Broncos games, received a Mont Blanc pen and tickets to country music icon Luke Combs concert, along with tickets to Swan Lake ballet in Melbourne, Strictly Gershwin in Brisbane In December, Mr Dutton and his wife received an upgrade for a flight from Brisbane to Sydney. So far in 2024, he has declared tickets and hospitality at the Australia v Pakistan Second Test match in Melbourne.
DAVID LITTLEPROUD: NATIONALS LEADER
Second on the list for Queensland federal politicians racking up gigantic expenses was leader of the National Party Maranoa MP David Littleproud, who had a total expenses bill of $383,250, which included a massive $71,436 for unscheduled commercial travel, the highest of all the Queensland MPs over the three months. Mr Littleproud’s travel outlays included $18,025 for travel expenses on top of $13,959 for flights and scheduled commercial travel and $160,894 for staff travel.
He was one of six Queensland MPs to declare tickets for the Melbourne Cup in 2022, when he also got free accommodation for the races.
Since then, he has accepted more tickets for him and his partner to last year’s Melbourne Cup along with a week-long trip to Japan in October 2023 for a trade delegation, a joy flight to Tambo, Christmas hams, tickets to Cowboys matches, passes to the Gold Coast Turf Club, a box of Royal Gala apples and a Canterbury Bulldogs’ membership.
ANIKA WELLS: SPORTS MINISTER
The Queensland MP with the third highest expenses bill according to the IPEA website for the three months from October 2022, was Lilley MP Anika Wells, who was named federal Sports Minister and Minister for Aged Care in June 2022.
Ms Wells, from Chermside, has also declared the most number of gifts of all the state’s 42 MPs and Senators over the period to date including the most exclusive – two rare tickets to the sold-out Taylor Swift concert in February.
Ms Wells had a total expenses bill of $280,999 for the October quarter, according to the IPEA site. The figure included $63,570 for office facilities and a further $71,640 for office administration, according to the IPEA. Her staff also chalked up $102,441 in travel expenses. On top of her $11,092 she claimed for travel allowance, the Sports Minister also spent $15,862 on flights and $2430 on international travel.
As Sports Minister, it is no surprise that Ms Wells had declared top-level tickets to the corporate suite at State of Origin, and to NRL, ARL and AFL grand final matches in 2022.
Also in 2022, as Sports Minister, she had tickets to the Melbourne Cup and attended as a guest of the beer company Furphy.
In February 2023, according to her register of interests, she also attended the Australian Tennis Mens’ and Womens’ Open finals.
Since then, she has also been the recipient of a number of prestigious gifts including the two tickets to Taylor Swift, more Melbourne Cup tickets and flight upgrades from France to Dubai for the Paris Olympic Games and a tennis racquet.
JIM CHALMERS: TREASURER
Along with tickets to the Reds, Bullets, Broncos, State of Origin, finals of the Australian Tennis Open in January 2023 and 2024, and tickets to the parliamentary midwinter ball, the Treasurer and father of three, declared a bottle of Penfolds Bin 150 Marananga Shiraz, believed to have cost $100.
He also registered a range of Sky News merchandise including a book and a notepad for speaking at a Sky News lunch in June 2022.
ANGIE BELL: MONCRIEF MP
The Gold Coast musician and former retail manager in February 2023 claimed for economy flights to the US, four nights’ accommodation in Washington DC, two nights in New York, a meal allowance, and declared a ticket to Hamilton the Musical. Since then, she has also declared for celebrity tickets to the opening night of Elvis the movie, Carole King the Musical, along with tickets to Pink, Splendour in the Grass, She also lodged receipt of tickets for a corporate box at the Gold Coast basketball, Titans v Broncos match, along with two joy flights and tickets to the Gold Coast Pacific Airshow.
In November, she lodged receipt of tickets to the prestigious Gold Coast 500 supercars, along with two tickets to the Paul McCartney concert. In January, she lodged receipt of tickets to the VIP marquee at the Gold Coast Magic Millions before backing up with a ticket to the Pink concert in February.
CAMERON CALDWELL: FADDEN MP
Adding a daughter to his family was a big deal for the Fadden MP, who took up his role as a federal politician in July 2023.
In September 2023, he declared the services of the Pindara Private Hospital Deluxe Parenting Suite on his register of interests. Mr Caldwell owns a house at Hollywell and an investment property at Coombabah.
WARREN ENTSCH: LEICHHARDT MP
Mr Entsch acknowledged a $7574 trip to India in March 2023 on his updated register of interests.
That month he also had two nights at Mount Mulligan Lodge with his wife Yolande which cost $2500 along with two tickets on a ferry for $1600. He also registered a $801 business trip to Taronga Zoo for a conservation and climate conference in August 2023. He also registered a $15,878 trip to the US and New York for a conference on tuberculosis in September 2023.
MICHELLE LANDRY: CAPRICORNIA
The Rockhampton-based politician has entered some of the more unusual items in the parliamentary register including a replica mining truck, a Turkish plate, tickets to the Melbourne Cup but more recently, she also declared a rose gold Pandora bracelet from a Yeppoon business, corporate box tickets to a Cowboys v Raiders game and a Sky News subscription.
GRAHAM PERRETT: MORETON MP
In February 2023, Mr Perrett declared two tickets from Stadiums Australia for an Ed Sheeran concert to which he took his son.
He also registered a trip to South Korea in April 2023, along with the receipt of a book called The Long story by Wayne Long. He also registered an all-expenses paid trip to Taiwan in September 2023 before logging tickets to the Brisbane International Tennis and to the Test cricket Australia v West Indies.
PHILLIP THOMPSON: HERBERT MP
In August 2022, the former Army soldier, entered the provision of beverages on his parliamentary Register of Interests along with a signed Cowboys jersey and Cowboys home game tickets. In August last year, he also registered a scholarship from the McKinnon Institute for Political Leadership for the Advanced Political Leadership Program, which included accommodation and meals. The course includes an initial trip to Melbourne, an intensive five-day residential retreat in the Adelaide Hills and a trip to Sydney. It costs about $24,000.
ANDREW WALLACE: FISHER
Fisher MP Andrew Wallace registered a tea set from Taiwan, along with ornaments from Saudi Arabia and Vietnam. He also registered a trip to Israel in December 2023.
TED O’BRIEN: FAIRFAX MP
Like most other Queensland MPs, Mr O’Brien is the happy recipient of a Qantas Chairman’s Lounge Membership and a Virgin VIP Club Membership along with Astra TV Subscription for his electorate office.
According to his Register of Interests, the former baker whose family owned Defiance flour mills claimed a contribution of $5000 towards accommodation and domestic flights for a study tour of the US and Canada in January and February 2023. He backed that up when he flew to the UK in November 2023 for a meeting of the Alliance for Responsible Citizenship. Flights, accommodation, transfers, conference registration and events were all paid for him. He then flew to Dubai and the UAE in December for COP28, with all expenses paid.
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Originally published as From Taylor Swift to Pink and Paul McCartney: QLD MPs’ VIP gifts registered and the latest expenses published
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