Prime Minister Tony Abbott claimed over $10,000 for family travel in 2012
THE Assistant Minister for Infrastructure says the debate over Tony Abbott's expenses lacks perspective and is "getting to edge of being absurd."
AN Abbott government minister believes the row over taxpayer-funded travel expenses lacks perspective, saying it pales into insignificance beside the prime minister's important diplomatic work.
"This is getting to the edge of being absurd," junior infrastructure and regional development minister Jamie Briggs told Sky News this morning.
Tony Abbott's presence at the APEC leaders' forum in Bali has been plagued by questions over a string of expense claims the prime minister lodged for attending charity and sporting events while he was opposition leader.
"These are important community events," said Mr Briggs who insists his leader's decisions had been appropriate.
"In the end this issue is one that will get some attention for a couple of days but over time will lose its significance, compared to the significant events the prime minister is participating in overseas."
Mr Brigg's comments come as the Parliamentary expenses saga continues to widen, with news not only of Mr Abbott's claimed expenses, but also of Labor MPs also caught up in the scandal.
Former Trade Minister Richard Marles claimed flights to Labor MP Michael Danby's 2008 Parliament House wedding but said he had meetings in Canberra the next day.
EXPENSES: Abbott repays money claimed for wedding visit
EXPENSES: Abbott defends money claimed for Ironman event
Just hours after lashing Coalition MPs over their expenses, former Attorney General Mark Dreyfus was forced to repay $466 claimed while he was away from Canberra on a skiing trip in August 2011 which his spokeswoman said was "an administrative error."
"Mr Dreyfus is sorry for the mistake and is repaying the $466," she said.
Mr Abbott has defended his expense claims yesterday after it emerged he had charged taxpayers to travel to Port Macquarie to compete in an ironman event in 2011 at a cost of almost $1300.
Department of Finance records also show Mr Abbott has used travel entitlements to take his family to AFL Grand Finals and Derby Day in Victoria.
The family trips cost taxpayers more than $10,000 and a charter flight to the Tamworth Country Music Festival, which he attended with one of his daughters, last year cost $8800.
Mr Abbott last week paid back $1700 he claimed for attending the 2006 weddings of former Liberal MP Sophie Mirabella and expense-scandal-plagued ex-MP Peter Slipper.
He defended all of his claims, including for the ironman event and claims over his annual Pollie Pedal charity bike ride during which he attends community events.
"I believe that all of my claims have been within entitlement and let's not forget that Port Macquarie was a marginal seat effectively and I want to assure you that I don't go to marginal seats simply for sporting events although the sporting event in question was a community event," he said.
"I think you'll find that there were quite a few other community events involved in those visits."
Mr Abbott's spokesman said the Prime Minister's travel claims were within the rules, and cited numerous examples of senior Labor figures charging taxpayers to travel to sporting events during the last term.
"All travel undertaken by Mr Abbott included comprehensive community engagement and was within the rules," his spokesman said.
"Mr Abbott receives a large number of invitations for attendance at - and involvement in - community, charity, business and sporting events. Mr Abbott has represented the Coalition at major sporting events, just as did senior members of the Gillard Government."
Wayne Swan, when acting PM in 2010, took his two children to both the AFL grand final replay and NRL grand final by VIP aircraft, costing taxpayers more than $17,000 in one weekend, according to Mr Abbott's office.
But Mr Swan has defended the travel expense claims he made, saying they were entirely within the guidelines.
That was a "world of difference to some of the discussion about other claims in the media at the moment".
Mr Swan is currently on a taxpayer-funded study tour in the United States, where he has been invited to an international financial conference in Washington.
He also will be talking to policymakers, investors and academics in New York.
"If you want to make a significant contribution to the debate on the global economy, the debate on our national economy, you have got to stay in touch," he told Sky News.
All his claimed expenses would be within the guidelines.
Acting Opposition Leader Chris Bowen called the ironman event a "personal expense" as leadership hopeful Bill Shorten said the entitlement system needed to "be cleaned up."
The expenses saga has also provoked claims Labor MPs may have spent almost $7000 on travel to Sydney for Bob Hawke's 80th birthday in 2009.
Coalition MPs, Attorney General George Brandis and Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce have repaid $3000 claimed to attend former radio personality Michael Smith's wedding.
Father of the House Philip Ruddock yesterday defended claiming to attend Mr Slipper's wedding, saying he was invited because he was Attorney-General at the time and Mr Slipper was head of the Legal and Constitutional Affairs Commitee.
SOME OF TONY ABBOTT'S EXPENSES:
Derby Day with family travel November 2012 - $2271.61
AFL Grand Final with family travel September 2012 - $2150.89
Coffs Coast Cycle Challenge, Coffs Harbour August 2012 - $1002.24
Hervey Bay surf life saving pier to pub swim April 2012 - $2372.81
Charter jet to Tamworth Country Music Festival January 2012 - $8800
Australian Open Men's tennis final Melbourne January 2012 - $1639.82
Tour Down Under Adelaide January 2012 - $2174.82
Pier to Pub swim Lorne January 2012 - $1444.24
Port Macquarie Ironman November 2011 - $1290.10
AFL Grand Final with family travel September 2011 - $5663.58 (flight Bris-Syd included in the fare for Melbourne return)
Melbourne Cup November 2010 - $2154.40
WHO HAS PAID BACK WHAT?
Prime Minister Tony Abbott repaid about $1,700 he had claimed to travel to the weddings of former colleagues Sophie Mirabella and Peter Slipper in 2006; Liberal MP Philip Ruddock has decided not to pay back travel to Mr Slipper's wedding.
Attorney-General George Brandis repaid nearly $1,700 he had claimed from the taxpayer to attend the wedding of radio announcer Michael Smith in 2011.
Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce repaid $615 for using a taxpayer-funded car to attend Mr Smith's wedding.
Labor's Mark Dreyfus repaid $466 for Canberra travel allowance claimed while he was on a Perisher skiing break in 2011.
TONY ABBOTT'S ENTITLEMENTS WHEN OPPOSITION LEADER:
- A travelling allowance, which varies between cities, for each overnight stay away from home to and from parliamentary and party business and "official business as an Opposition Office Holder". The meaning of "official business" is not stipulated.
- Business class airfares on "official business within Australia" for the "most reasonable and usual route between the departure and destination points".
- Use unlimited car transport, both chauffeured and self-drive, for "official business" anywhere in Australia.
- A spouse is entitled to travel "anywhere in Australia for official purposes" at taxpayer expense, including business class flights. A description of "official purposes" is not provided.
- Can claim $8889 a year in overseas fares, plus accommodation, meals, vaccinations, insurance and incidentals, including $63-a-day for minor expenses like tips and porterage. The cost of travel of one staffer and their spouse is covered, but not for children.
- "Dependent children" are allowed three return visits to Canberra a year and additional travel with the approval of the Special Minister of State. A dependent child is under 16 and in the Opposition Leader's care, or is aged 16-25 and is a full-time student wholly or substantially dependent upon the Opposition Leader.
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