Julie Bishop charges taxpayers $7000 for four trips at same time as sister’s birthday

EXCLUSIVE: JETSETTING Julie Bishop charged taxpayers about $7000 for four trips to Adelaide that coincided with her older sister’s birthday.

Julie Bishop with her sister MaryLou Bishop at a family wedding. Picture: Supplied

JETSETTING Julie Bishop charged taxpayers about $7000 for four trips to Adelaide that coincided with her older sister’s birthday.

A Herald Sun investigation has revealed four occasions when the Foreign Affairs Minister flew to Adelaide, where she was born, at the same time as sister Mary­Lou’s February 12 birthday.

Ms Bishop has previously faced criticism for flying to Adelaide to celebrate her own birthday with her family.

BISHOP’S TRAVEL MATCHES EAGLES GAMES

BISHOP’S ADELAIDE BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS

OFFICIAL BUSINESS AT PORTSEA POLO

Julie Bishop with her sister MaryLou Bishop at a family wedding. Picture: Supplied

She has claimed a travel allowance to stay in Adelaide in 2010, 2011 and 2012, with expense records released on Friday showing she also visited the night before her sister’s birthday this year.

The Herald Sun can also reveal the Liberal deputy leader splurged almost $73,000 on a three-day trip with a group of foreign diplomats in North Queensland this year.

Julie Bishop swims on the Great Barrier Reef. Picture: Supplied

They wined and dined at an award-winning beachfront restaurant and 112 people spent a day exploring the Great Barrier Reef from a $26,890 chartered boat.

Taxpayers paid for a photographer, with pictures later released of Ms Bishop snorkelling. She said at the time it was important to show how Australia was protecting the reef.

Ms Bishop has recently been forced to defend her use of entitlements to attend events including AFL Grand Finals, the Portsea Polo and the Spring Racing Carnival.

Julie Bishop at the 2014 AFL Grand Final with Gillon McLachlan. Picture: Tim Carrafa

Questioned about trips that coincided with her sister’s birthday, Ms Bishop’s spokeswoman said: “The Foreign Minister does not schedule her official travel around birthdays.”

She said Ms Bishop had official meetings and events on each occasion and her travel “was within official guidelines”.

This year, she charged taxpayers $1370 for a flight from Perth to Adelaide on February 11. It is believed she was guest speaker at a Chinese New Year event hosted by the Australian Chi­nese Medical Association.

She claimed a travel allowance for ministerial business to stay that night but charged the $129 non-commercial rate, for when MPs stay with family or friends instead of in a hotel. She took an $861 flight to Canberra the next day.

Julie Bishop takes an early morning run on the Cairns Esplanade. Picture: AAP/Brian Cassey

Ms Bishop claimed the non-commercial travel allowance during the 2010 and 2011 trips, and the full $386 rate in 2012.

She used points to pay for her 2010 flights. The 2011 flights cost $2595, including legs to Perth and Melbourne, while the 2012 trip included legs to Perth and Canberra and cost $1559.

It was revealed this year that Ms Bishop billed taxpayers $1600 for a trip to Adelaide when she celebrated her 60th birthday, and $2400 when she turned 58.

FAMILY TRAVEL SPLURGE REVEALED IN NEW EXPENSE RECORDS

VICTORIAN senator Jacinta Collins racked up a travel bill of more than $9000 in three months to fly her family around Australia.

Expense records released on Friday showed the Labor senator spent more on family travel costs than any other politician in the first quarter of this year, with many claiming nothing at all.

Ms Collins, the shadow assistant minister for early childhood and citizenship and multicultural Australia, charged taxpayers $7342 for 13 flights for one family member and another $506 for chauffeured cars.

Victorian Senator Jacinta Collins has racked up a travel bill of more than $9000 in three months to fly her family around Australia.

She also claimed return flights from Melbourne to Mildura for three family members in January.

The expense records were the first to be published by the Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority, set up after Sussan Ley stood down as health minister after the Herald Sun revealed she charged taxpayers for a trip to the Gold Coast when she bought an apartment “on impulse”.

Ms Ley did not charge taxpayers for any flights after she was forced out of Cabinet.

The documents also revealed maverick Queensland MP Bob Katter spent almost $20,000 on chartered flights.

Victorian Labor MPs Jenny Macklin, Joanne Ryan, Tim Watts and Peter Khalil hit taxpayers with car accident excess fees.

Former prime ministers spent $282.601, with John Howard racking up the biggest bill of $72,426 followed by Tony Abbott at $61,460.

Government minister Greg Hunt charged taxpayers $23,297 for a four-day trip to New York to meet with Alcoa executives and negotiate a deal to save the company’s Portland smelter.

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