High Court Chief Justice Susan Kiefel’s spouse flies high on taxpayer dollar
The husband of Australia’s High Court Chief Justice has spent more taxpayer cash on overseas travel than most of his wife’s colleagues, and 15 times higher than almost any other spouse.
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HIGH Court Chief Justice Susan Kiefel’s husband has splashed out more taxpayer cash on overseas travel than most of his wife’s colleagues and 15 times higher than almost any other spouse.
It’s the second year in a row Justice Kiefel’s husband, academic Michael Albrecht, has topped the list of big spending High Court judge spouses travelling on the taxpayer dollar.
Taxpayers spent more than $130,000 for the seven judges’ international trips as well as their spouses’ travel, overseas and within Australia.
Mr Albrecht was responsible for more than a quarter of this cost, spending $20,000 on domestic flights and almost $17,000 on international sojourns.
Only Justice Kiefel and Justice Stephen Gageler spent more than Mr Albrecht on overseas travel, a Freedom of Information search revealed.
Most other spouses only took domestic travel totalling $2000 or less.
Taxpayer-funded travel for judges and spouses make up just part of the $500,000 in perks available to the highest-ranked judges in the country, who can earn more than $541,000 a year in salaries.
Remuneration Tribunal rules state spouses should only travel with office holders at taxpayer expense if “it is demonstrably in the interest of the Commonwealth”.
Both a High Court spokesman and the Attorney-General declined to comment on the benefit in these instances.
Flights to London, Japan, Kuala Lumpur, New York, Washington DC and Dunedin made up the international destinations four of the seven judges travelled to.
On a two-week trip to London, Chief Justice Susan Kiefel, who earns $596,220 a year, spent $1500 on taxis and other travel, such as transport to Oxford and Cambridge.
A weekly tube and bus pass can cost as little as £50 ($AUD87).
In the 2017-18 financial year, Justice Kiefel flew to London in July 2017 where she attended meetings with legal officials, the Australian High Commissioner, as well as dinners at Oxford and Cambridge.
She also attended conferences in Japan in September 2017 and Kuala Lumpur in March 2018, with the three trips costing $32,500.
Justice Stephen Gageler outspent the Chief Justice, splashing out $36,500 on travel to New York and Washington in March and May 2017, when he attended the Harvard Law School Lectures and the American Law Institute’s annual meeting.
Justice Michelle Gordon spent $6481 to attend the International Women’s Day events in Kuala Lumpur in March 2018, while Justice James Edelman claimed just $292 to head to a lecture in Dunedin.
Other reportable benefits claimed by High Court judges, including fringe benefits tax, car leases/hire, spouse travel, home security, phone and internet bills, totalled $364,000, documents reveal.
Originally published as High Court Chief Justice Susan Kiefel’s spouse flies high on taxpayer dollar
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